Things Were As They Have Always Been
by Shinra'sCrazyTurk
Summary: Everyone has a secret right? Well Naruto's secret can kill. With time running out can Kakashi and this mysterious woman correct a horrible mistake or is it already too late for Naruto? My summary sucks so please ignore.. Character death. Slight Yaoi
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any characters, setting, or original plot to the anime series_ Naruto_. I wish i did...

**Hi everyone, I bet you all thought I was dead? Well sorry to disappoint but i'm back! Bwahahahaha! Anyway this is my first naruto fic so don't hurt me (i'm invincible anyway, so there :) **

**PRO: "Before..."**

Everything was turning to ash around her, the smoke was thick and slowly suffocating her.

This was the one way she hadn't wanted to die, engulfed by flames, she thought numbly.

Parts of the building were collapsing in around her making the space she occupied even smaller.

Her leg twitched under the weight of the fallen roof. If she had the strength she might have been able to free herself, but seeing as she had used almost all of her chakra earlier, she knew it was impossible.

She watched with morbid fascination as the last bit of paint on the wall bubbled up

and disappeared into the flames. She choked on the air, or lack-there-of, the hot ash burning her insides.

Her left hand sluggishly rubbed her neck, the right one curled around her waist.

The flames were getting closer, the heat feeling more

intense as the seconds ticked by. She thought back to

what had started all of this and smiled. "And I still love you...even after this..."

She let her eyes slip shut and just listened to the sounds

of the fire, her body too tired to do anything else but listen.

Her smile weakened and dissipated as her breathing started to slow

to almost nothing. "Just... I just wish..." Her jaw went slack again as another

portion of the roof caved in, the ever growing fire burning brighter before settling.

**End PRO**

**Shadow Note: ok, ok i know you are all like 'what the hell is going on?' and 'that was a waste of a chapter' but before passing judgement on this.. at least read the next chapter! please! It will all be explained sooner or later! And don't hurt me for spelling errors i wrote this at 4 am and my spell check doesnt work!**


	2. Chapter 1: As They Were

**_Disclaimer:_** I DONT OWN ANYTHING! Well actually Yayoi is my own character so I suppose I just lied didn't I?

****

**"..." normal speaking **

_**'...' thoughts**_

_**'...' kyuubi's thought/words**_

**CHAPTER ONE: "As They Were"**

_"They always say that one must start the story at the beginning, but to fully understand this story, you must understand everything, even things before the beginning. Some of the most important things are the ones most forgotten."_

**-Then- **

The young boy cried out when he was hit, by a younger girl none the less. The little girl was going to hit the boy again but an older villager stopped her. "What is the meaning of this?" the woman yelled, roughly yanking the girl away. The girl glared at the boy, as if saying _'I'll deal with you later'_. Her attention turned fully to the older women.

"He said something bad about my eye and insulted my family, so I hit him." she said while doing her best not to growl. The older women did not look impressed, in fact she looked rather angry. "Your eye is strange, gross at best. He had every right to talk to you that way, you know better, especially after what your family did-"

The girl tuned out the rest of the woman's rant; it was always like this, no matter what she did. If it wasn't bad enough that she was alone, everyone had to hate her for what her family did, never mind that she had nothing to do with it. She was completely sick of it. She wrenched her wrist from the older women's grasp, making her stagger in the process.

"You're just like everyone else you old hag! You only see my last name and not me! You'll regret this when I'm older and stronger!" she snarled.

"You will never be allowed to get any stronger you little brat! God willing you'll be taken in the chuunin exams!"

The girls eyes glistened with unshed tears. She would not cry, she would take the abuse, just like every other time. But this time would different she decided, this time she would leave. "One day I will come back and you will all be sorry. I will make sure of it!" the women gasped and cried out when the child knocked her down and took off in the direction of the gate.

The child was forbidden from ever leaving the village; for fear that she would do more harm that her family had done. But in there ignorance they had begun to create the monster they all feared.

XxXxXXxXXxXx

**-Now- **

"Naruto! What are you doing! Leave Sasuke-kun alone!" sakura yelled. Naruto stopped after he had thrown a few kunai and turned to her. "But why he started it-" Naruto was cut off by the arrival of their sensei. "Yo!" Kakashi said, walking slowly as if he had not just arrived 2 hours late. Both Naruto and sakura turned to him "YOU'RE LATE!" they screamed.

Kakashi put his hand behind his head "Well you see it was such a nice day i decided to go for a walk and i lost track of time-" Sasuke tuned them all out. It was like this everyday, why his stupid sensei couldn't come on time like the others he would never know. But it would be better if his teammates didn't yell about it every day!

Sasuke snapped back to attention when Kakashi mentioned another mission. It would of course be an easy one, even after the mission they had completed in wave country.

'_When will we do something challenging, I can't complete my goals if I am this weak!' _

Sasuke frowned deeper at the thought, almost growling in irritation, but catching himself at the last second. He stuffed his hands in his pocket and slouched forward not noticing his teammates eyes on him.

'_Hmm.. I wonder what's bothering him now? There always seems to be a problem that irritates him.. Great... This just means that i'll end up getting in trouble again, I always do when it comes to him!'_

"Naruto pay attention!" Kakashi said with a sigh. Naruto jerked his head up and laughed uneasily.

'_Maybe you should stop thinking about him kit'_ a voice said.

Naruto looked around trying to figure out who had said those words. Sakura looked at him strangely so he smiled at her. She got a disgusted look on her face and turned back to Kakashi who was also looking at him.

'_Say something to them or they are going to think that you are crazy.'_

Naruto fought the urge to look around him.

"WHAT!" he growled, more at the voice than his teammates. Kakashi went back to explaining the mission after he gave Naruto another strange look. Sasuke however, kept stealing glances at him.

_'I think you are right, something does always happen when your attention is on him'_ the voice said.

_'Great how am I supposed to become hokage if I'm going crazy?' _The voice just laughed.

_'You do not realize who I am do you young one?'_

'Y_up going crazy...'_

_Sigh_ _'Concentrate hard on my voice and you will see'_

Naruto found himself complying with the voices demands, the faces of his team were suddenly replaced with a large dark room. He walked forward until he was standing before a large grey barred cage with lots of chains on the door.

'W_hat the-'_

_'__Hello kit. Do you recognize me now?'_ the voice whispered.

_'You're the Kyuubi No Kitsune!' _he yelled.

'_Come closer kit and I will tell you a story...'_

As if he was being controlled he moved closer until he was right in front of the bars. The fox smiled, its teeth showing as its lips curled back.

'_Now I will tell you what really happened all those years ago... back when they sealed me in your body.' _

Back outside of Naruto's mind his team was gathered around him, his body lay out on the grass. Kakashi was at a loss, one minute the boy was standing and the next his eyes rolled up into the back of his head and he was falling to the ground. He had of course gotten a glazed look to his eyes before falling but Kakashi wasn't quite sure what to make of it.

"Sasuke, Sakura. You two complete the mission by yourselves, it's not difficult. I will take care of Naruto. When you are finished meet me outside of the Hokage's office." The two genin nodded at their sensei before taking off to complete their D class mission. With his other students off, Kakashi's attention reverted back to Naruto.

"Just what have you gotten yourself into now..." With a sigh the jounin picked up his remaining student and headed to speak with the hokage never knowing about the trouble brewing inside of the young boy.

_**xXxXx**_

_'So you're saying that it was all just a miss-understanding and they sealed you up for no reason? Is that it?' _

_'That is correct. So you see I really am of no danger to you or your village. I never meant to harm anyone. You could let me out..?'_the kyuubi spoke softly, gently nudging at the cage door.

Naruto hesitated. The story did in fact make sense to him.. but there was this nagging feeling in the back of his mind telling him to be careful.

'_Why should I trust you? You could be lying to me...'_

_'Why would I lie to you, I am not like everyone else you know. Have I ever given you a reason to doubt me, kit?'_ Kyuubi said soothingly.

Naruto didn't reply, the kyuubi's smile widened.

'_I guess I could trust you.. but for now I'm only going to make the cage bigger... I'm just not sure how...'_

'_It's just like everything in your mind kit, all you have to do is close your eyes and think. When you feel the tug on your chakra picture the cage expanding. It will be the same process if you let me out...'_

'_I... Ok... Give me a second to try this...' _Naruto mumbled.

**XxXxXxXxXx**

The hokage sat back in his chair. "This is interesting at the very least..."

His eyes were focused on the boy before him, who was mumbling quietly in his apparent sleep. The seal on the boy was untouched and unchanged so there seemed to be no need to worry about the kyuubi right now. Trying to figure out what had caused the boy to abruptly collapse was their current problem. If it was something that could weaken his body enough for the seal to be broken than it needed to be fixed right away, however it was not proving to be an easy task. Without Naruto awake it seemed that they had no answers to their questions.

"Hokage-sama?"

He was drawn back from his thoughts by naruto's sensei, who was giving him a questioning look. He motioned for Kakashi to sit down.

As the jounin was seating himself he spoke.

"We will just have to wait and see what happens. Nothing can be done until he wakes."

Kakashi frowned under his mask. "So we wait." he said with a sigh.

_'Sasuke and sakura are not going to be happy...' _

_**Shadow Note:**_ ok, ok I know I said this chapter would be better... sigh what can I say... I blame it on the coffee...I will seriously TRY to finish this story unlike all my previous ones...Review if you like...

**(8-12-08 AN: I am going through this fic and trying to edit it so if there are errors just be patient, I didn't have a beta when I posted the first few chapters in 2005 so they are the worst…)**


	3. Chapter 2: May never have been

**Disclaimer:** Nope, still don't own anything...

**Chapter 2: "May never have been..."**

_**-Sometime before Now-**_

Naruto opened his blurry eyes and was a little surprised to find himself lying on the floor of the Hokage's office. He turned his head and found two sets of weary eyes looking at him. Kakashi's rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed. "Wonder when he'll get up..."

'_What the..?'_

The weird thing was that it seemed like they hadn't noticed he was awake even though they were looking directly at him. What he didn't realize was that his body was underneath him... He thought he heard laughter, the Kyuubi's laughter. He looked around but found nobody else in the room.

_'Silly kit, you should never trust a fox. Now I can do anything with your body and they will just think it was you!'_

_'NO! KYUUBI WHAT ARE YOU DOING!'_

He watched as his body got up on its own and he saw the startled expressions of the other ninjas. His eyes were not the normal blue anymore they were red and slit like cat eyes. He tried to move, tried to do anything to stop the kyuubi, but the kyuubi had raised its claws and slashed the Hokage's neck open.

Kakashi was stunned to say the least and had taken a fighting stance. Naruto was yelling, telling Kakashi to get out of there but he was ignored or never heard at all, soon Kakashi was also dead. The bodies seemed to vanish and he glanced at the kyuubi who back was to him.

His body turned and looked at him with a twisted smirk. It laughed at him before pouncing.

**XxxXxXxXxX**

**-Now-**

"Naruto! You have to wake up!"

_'Hey I know that voice... but ... where...' _

He felt arms shaking him, rousing him out of his sleep. The shaking stopped when he cracked an eye open.

"That was an interesting dream...even if I can remember much about it..."

He yawned and stretched but stopped when he noticed he was on the floor. He gave a questioning look to the two men near him.

"Well naruto you certainly took your time in waking up. Have a nice nap?" the man with silver hair asked. He looked strange to naruto. He was wearing a mask to hide his face and his hair stood almost straight up. The other man was older and was smoking something, but he couldn't see what.

"Naruto do you mind telling us what happened? You had us worried for a while..." the older man said.

Before he could stop himself he blurted out "Mind telling me how you know my name!"

_'That's great naruto, what if you have been captured by the enemy! Now you'll just make them angry!' _

However in response to his question he got a worried glance from both of the men. The younger of the two men walked over to him and placed a hand on his forehead even as he tried to back away.

"He doesn't seem to have a fever..." the man murmured.

"Will you stop talking as if I'm not here! What is going on and who the hell are you?!" Naruto shouted while getting frustrated.

"You really don't know who either of us are?" the man questioned.

"I thought I made that obvious! And where are Sasuke and Sakura! If you hurt them-"

"Wait stop right there… So you remember your teammates but not your sensei or the Hokage.." naruto blinked as if not truly understanding his statement.

"Ummm... What's a Hokage?" naruto asked quietly.

The man dropped his book and just stared at him. "Kakashi do you think it could be the Kyuubi's doing?"

Naruto tuned them out at that point and sank into his own thoughts.

_'Kyuubi, hey I know a kyuubi. That the fox that's sealed inside of me... Come to think of it all of this weird stuff started to happen after I made its cage larger...oh well. I don't think the kyuubi did whatever it is they are talking about. Kyuubi has always been there for me and would never harm me. But than what did happen… if what they say is true than why can't I remember them?'_

Naruto sat quietly on the floor as the questions flooded his mind as he tried to make some sense to of his situation. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up.

"Since you can't seem to remember us I think we should introduce ourselves. I am Kakashi Hatake, and that is the Hokage...ah.. I think I'll leave the explanation on that for later..."

_'This is going to be a long day...' _

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

"I wonder what's taking Kakashi-sensei so long.."

_Inner sakura: Stupid naruto I bet this is all his fault! Cha!_

Sasuke got up and started walking over to another part of the room. They had gotten bored and had gone inside of the building instead of waiting outside like they were told. It hadn't taken long for them to complete the mission and Kakashi still wasn't back after 3 hours, which wouldn't have been surprising if Naruto hadn't been with him.

_'I wonder what's wrong with the dobe...' _

As if hearing their thoughts Kakashi walked around the corner and almost straight into Sasuke. "Looks like you got tired of waiting out there. Anyway, I need the two of you to come with me now." With that the silver haired jounin walked back around the corner.

"W-what! Hey, Kakashi-sensei just what the heck is going on!" Sakura yelled and ran after him. "Hn." Sasuke followed silently cursing the pink haired girl for being to annoying. Arriving at the door to the Hokage's office Kakashi motioned them in while still not telling them anything.

"Sasuke teme, Sakura-chan!" Naruto, who had previously been sitting on the floor, jumped up and ran over to is teammates. "So you finally got up, great, now back away!" Sakura screamed when he got too close.

"Do I know them?!" naruto said while pointing to Kakashi and the Hokage. "Of course you know the Hokage and Kakashi-sensei you idiot! Don't ask stupid questions!" Sakura raged and smacked Naruto over the head. "Oww, why did you have to hit me? And how can i know them if don't remember ever seeing them before?!" Naruto cried out while rubbing his head.

"Dobe, what do you mean?" Sasuke's eyes locked onto naruto.

"Alright, calm down all of you. I know that you are confused but please understand that this is a confusing situation." the Hokage stated from behind his desk. "Naruto, do you believe us now that Sasuke and Sakura are here?" Kakashi questioned. Naruto scratched the back of his head and grudgingly said "I guess so" before he moved closer to his team.

"Kakashi-sensei just what is naruto talking about? He's not making any sense!" Sakura cried out in frustration. "Well now that we have one matter settled why don't you and Sasuke go on home." Kakashi said as he gently pushed two of the three genin out of the door.

"Hey! Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura yelled form outside the door. Sasuke was still silent; having decided that yelling at them wasn't going to give him the answers he desired.

Sakura was about to bang on the door when she noticed that Sasuke was walking down the hallway. _'Just where is he going?'_ Taking one last look at the door she decided to follow Sasuke rather then stay there. Maybe he had already figured out what was going on, he was Sasuke after all. Sakura ignored the dark haired woman that walked past her not even noticing that she was not wearing the symbol for leaf anywhere on her.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

"You certainly have your hands full with those two." The hokage said with a shake of his head. "Hey, old man are we done here?" naruto grumbled from his position by the door. "Naruto don't be rude." Kakashi scolded him. Naruto stuck his tongue out and mumbled something about perverts.

"No, you can't go quite yet. We still need to figure out exactly what is making you forget these things." With a sigh Naruto sat down in one of the chairs in the room. "Naruto do you remember anything about this morning?" Kakashi asked him, curious about the answer.

"I don't see what's so important about that..." with a look from Kakashi he threw up his hands. "Ok, ok geez! I got up, Went to train with Sasuke and Sakura and then i woke up here! That's it." Crossing his arms he ignored the two adults in the room.

_'This is so pointless, if it weren't for my team then I'd say they were lying.'_

_'Maybe they are. Your team could be under a genjutsu of some kind and not even realize it.'_ the Kyuubi's voice seeped into his thoughts. Naruto thought about that for a moment. _'But why would someone go through all that trouble...It doesn't add up.' _

The Kyuubi chuckled and pulled him in front of his cage again. Naruto sat cross-legged on the floor his face a picture of concentration. _'I don't get it...'_ The Kyuubi's lips pulled back into a smile, large teeth shining in the half light.

_'They are calling for you.'_

"Naruto, when you woke you mentioned something of a dream. Can you recall any of it?"

_'Should I tell them?'_

_'I don't see the harm in it. Just tell them what you remember. I'm sure then they might be able to find out what's wrong.'_ It almost sounded as though the fox were laughing at him, but for what reason Naruto couldn't figure out.

"In the dream, I was asleep in this room. I woke up and there were two people talking about me, they didn't notice that i was awake. That was when i noticed that i was standing above my own body. A deep voice told me that I was foolish and that they were going to die because of it. My body ran forward and killed the two people. I can't remember what the faces look like." Kakashi and the hokage shared a look before turning back to Naruto.

"That's everything form the dream?" Annoyed Naruto merely nodded his head. In truth that was all he could remember. It seemed like he should have known the two from the dream, and even that deep chilling voice. But he simply couldn't remember.

"Thank you Naruto, I think you can go for now. We know where to find you if we think of anything." Naruto shrugged and walked out of the room, not bothering with anything more than a hand raised to say goodbye.

About two feet form the door he walked into a woman. "Sorry about that..." the woman said while helping him up. "Yeah, whatever." he said as he walked off.

'_So that was the Kyuubi child. He won't last long at this rate...'_ Shaking her head she was still surprised that there were no guards outside of the Hokage's office. It would at least make her job easier. _'Although I should probably say something to them about this…'_

Pulling out a Kunai she opened the door and ran in, surprising the two remaining occupants in the room. She quickly placed the kunai at the base of Kakashi's neck. "Long time no see." She pulled him into a bruising kiss.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

Walking out of the Hokage tower Naruto sighs. Since when did he have trouble remember people. There 'had' to be a reason for it, didn't there?

_'You think too much, kit.'_ the fox growled in annoyance. _'Sorry Kyuubi. It's just...'_

_'Go home and rest, things will be clearer afterwards I'm sure.'_ Naruto was about to reply when he caught sight of Iruka.

"Iruka-sensei!" he launched himself at the older man and hugged him. "Naruto! It's good to see you. How about I treat you to some ramen?" the chuunin laughed and pried Naruto off of him and the pair headed off to get ramen.

_'You humans have an ... interesting taste in foods. I still don't understand how you can eat that junk.'_

Naruto laughed and Iruka stared at him before he made up something about how he was remembering the look on Sasuke's face as he beat him while training earlier. The chuunin obviously didn't believe him but played along.

_'You should watch yourself, or they will think you are loosing it.' _

Naruto silently agreed and tucked into his bowls of ramen. "This really is the best stuff! Thanks so much Iruka-sensei!" but between bites of food it didn't really come out as thank, thankfully iruka had gotten the gist of it.

"You're welcome Naruto." with the meal ending a little under fifteen minutes later naruto told his former sensei goodbye and headed home for the day. He ignored the stares of the villagers; they would always stare so why worry about it?

Getting to his small apartment he was thankful that no one had broken into it today. "Home at last!" throwing his weapons pouch onto the couch he headed over to his bed where he flopped onto it ungracefully. As soon as his head touched the pillows his eyes began to droop. "I guess I was more tired then I thought..." within moments he was fast asleep.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

"Iruka-sensei!" Naruto yelled from across the street. His former sensei didn't even seem to notice. "Foolish boy..." a voice whispered form behind him. He whipped his head around but found no one. A growling sound came from in front of him. Looking straight ahead once more he gasped. "Iruka-sensei look out!' Naruto took off running toward Iruka.

Iruka was walking peacefully down the deserted streets of Konoha when he spotted a familiar mess of blond hair. "Naruto..." only there was something wrong with him. He was on all fours growling. His teeth and nails had sharpened and his ever prominent whicker marks had deepened.

For a moment the two only looked at once another before naruto pounced. His claws were slashing at the chuunin's chest and a horrid smile came upon the face as he was bathed in blood. His teeth sank deep into the chuunin's neck and ripped out a chunk chewing thoughtfully as it looked at it copy that stood only feet from him.

"No...No!" Naruto weakly fell to the ground and watched...himself as he killed Iruka. The eyes that looked up at him were not his own but that of a demon.

**-End chapter 2-**

**Shadow:** Buwhahahaha Cliff hanger!!

**Shadow Note:** Can anyone guess where this is going, or what's even going on?

**Itachi:** Nobody understand what's going on. Give up.

**Deidara:** And join the Akatsuki, un!!

**Shadow:** You guys aren't even in here, get out! shoves Deidara out the door

Well...Maybe you can stay Itachi...

**Itachi:** Whatever

**Shadow:** _-Glomps Itachi-_ Please review if you feel like it. Until next time! Muwhahaha


	4. Chapter 3: Forever Interlude

**Disclaimer:** Still own nothing….

**Chapter 3: "Forever Interlude"**

The hokage coughed and the woman smirked as she sat on the armrest of the chair next of the famous copy-cat ninja. Kakashi for his part, looked a little uncomfortable. "Bet you never thought you'd see me again?" laughing she crossed her legs while still seated on the thin armrest. She was two years younger then Kakashi but looked even younger. She was wearing a light grey cloak over a black tank top and black skin tight shorts. She also had her left arm completely bandaged along with her right hand. Brushing back a stray strand of inky black hair she looked at the man who she knew to be the hokage.

"You really need to post guards out there, it was far too easy to get in here and I'm even wearing Hidden Rock's forehead protector." shaking her head she looked directly at the hokage. "I'm assuming there is a reason that you would take this big of a risk...?" Nodding her head at the Hokage's question she closed her eyes.

"Problems have begun with the Kyuubi's container, correct?" Not waiting for them to answer she continued. "These problems will only get worse, and unless he can get a better grip over his mind things will easily spiral out of control."

"How do you know so much? And why now of all times?" Kakashi stated quietly. Hopping off of the armrest she shrugged off the cloak she was wearing and laid it upon the chair. Taking hold of the top left portion of her shirt she pulled it down a little to reveal an intricate black seal. "This is where the Rokubi no Ookami is resting at the moment. There is a rather dangerous flaw in most of the sealing techniques that humans have used on the biju thus far." The Hokage's eyes widened.

"But the Yondaime's sealing was nearly perfect, if not perfect." Kakashi muttered form his chair. "Nearly perfect is the problem, most only take into account the biju forcefully taking control or some outside force causing it to take control."

"What way is there to take control of the container other then forcefully?" the hokage said while lighting his pipe in thought. "With the help of the jinchuuriki themselves of course." two pairs of eyes stared at her and she knew it was going to take a while to explain everything.

**XxXxXxxXxXxXx**

Blinking his eyes open naruto rolled off of his bed and yawned. Scratching his stomach he shook off the drowsiness. _'Hey kyuubi you were right all I needed was a little rest.' _the Kitsune made a noise of agreement but otherwise remained silent. Looking at the clock Naruto noticed he had only been asleep for about an hour and a half.

_'I wonder I f I just didn't get enough sleep last night?'_ shrugging off his own question naruto readied himself and was out the door before he had even thought about it. 'I should go see if Sasuke-teme wants to train with me...'

Walking down the street silently lost in his own thought he didn't see the person come towards him or call his name. "Naruto! I have been trying to get your attention for a while now, is there something bothering you?" a ponytailed chuunin asked him.

"Can I help you with something?" Naruto mumbled quietly. The man looked confused for a moment before smiling. "Are you still half asleep Naruto? You know what I told you about-" Naruto cut the man off before he could continue. "Look I don't know you so can you leave me alone?" Shaking off an almost painful nagging feeling in the back of his mind naruto started to walk off.

"What do you mean you don't know me?!" the man yelled. "I told you I **do not **know who you are!" More and more people were starting to pay attention to the escalating voices of the two among them stood two genin.

"Sakura-chan, Sasuke teme!" running over to his team naruto hid himself partially behind sakura. "Sakura do I know that guy? He keeps telling me I do but I don't remember him."

Both Sasuke and Sakura look at Naruto carefully. "Naruto, you know Iruka-sensei..."

_Inner Sakura: Is he really that stupid or is there something else going on...Whatever it is it's cutting into my time with Sasuke! _

"Not you too Sakura..." Naruto shoulders sank and he frowned. "Naruto..." Iruka said quietly while reaching out to grab a hold of his arm. Naruto's eyes widened and he backed away from the outstretched hand_. 'Whatever is going on I have had enough, time to leave...' _

Just as naruto had started to run a different arm grabbed him and he was left too look into three confused sets of eyes before he vanished into thin air.

**XxXxXxxXxXxXx**

"If the jinchuuriki's mind is weak or unstable it can be very easy for the biju to take hold and eventually take over. I almost made that mistake when i was younger." Pausing she glanced down at the floor silently wishing for this to just be over already.

"When I met you, you didn't even have the seal never mind being weak minded..." she inwardly smirked at Kakashi's comment. _'Yes...when you 'met' me.'_ sighing she continued. "The seal was hidden obviously, it wouldn't be good if information on my biju got out now would it, especially with the Akatsuki running around. And as I stated before the incident occurred when I was younger. I was treated much like Naruto in my own village, however I didn't love my village i despised it."

Letting her hands fall to her lap her eyes drifted to the window. "But enough of that. The information you require has nothing to do with it. The problem is within the seal. I've seen it twice before not including my own. I need to see that boys seal."

"You understand that I can't just let you see him, even if what you say is true, because of the way you came here?" she really wanted to pull out her hair in frustration. "Ignore the policies for now! There is a real problem or I wouldn't have risked imprisonment or death !" she practically snarled. Taking a deep breath she closed her eyes again. She could feel the Ookami stir within her, brushing against her mind seeking the weak spots. She ignored him.

"If anything goes wrong I will take responsibility over her." to hear that come form the copy-cat ninjas mouth surprised her, especially after their last departure. That had been around five years ago. Suppressing a sigh she fought the urge to think back on those times with him.

"I hope everything goes well then, Kakashi. The consequences will not be mild if she is lying. Take her to look at Naruto's seal." Nodding the pair of them silently left the room. Once out side however the silence was short lived.

"Yayoi-" stopping at hearing her name Yayoi turned to Kakashi. "Don't. Just don't. I already know what you would say. This is strictly business and nothing more." walking on ahead Yayoi's eyes narrowed. _'You made that perfectly clear on our last meeting.' _She pointedly ignored Kakashi even though she had no idea where anything was. _'This has to stop... I shouldn't think of the past..' _her hand gathered into a fist as she stomped on her thoughts that were causing her to remember her time with him. This all went unnoticed as her facial expression hadn't changed, and her hand was beneath the cloak.

They were walking on one of the main streets of the village; it was crowded and noisy. But even with all the noise, the sounds of an ongoing dispute rose clear over everything else.

A boy with orange hair was yelling at a chuunin while standing somewhat behind a pink haired girl. _'That's him.' _

Watching as the drama unfolded she did nothing until the Naruto decided to run. Grabbing his arm before he could go anywhere she looked down at him. "You will be going with me." With a quick glance over to Kakashi the three of them disappeared.

Sakura and Iruka looked at each other with mirrored expressions of shock. Sasuke looked impassive, but if one were to look at his eyes they would tell you or the worry he was feeling for his blond haired friend.

**XxXxXxxXxXxXx**

Looking around Yayoi realized they were in one of the training grounds; which was thankfully unoccupied for the moment. "Who the heck are you?! Where are we?" naruto struggled within her grasp but was not rewarded with being dropped. She ignored his previous questions and asked "Are you going to let me look at the seal on your stomach?"

"Hell no! You just want to tamper with it! I'm not going to let you-" Yayoi does a few quick hand seals and naruto eyes flutter before slowly closing; his body going limp in her arms.

Kakashi walks over from the tree line and watches as she carefully lays the now unconscious boy on the grass. "A sleep jutsu. He wasn't about to let me to this while he was awake." Gently she lifts Naruto's shirt to expose the intricate swirls of the seal that lay across his belly.

Her eyes expertly start tracing the lines of the Kyuubi's seal, searching for even the smallest of errors. _'Where is it? I know it's here...' _biting her lip in concentration her hand unconsciously begins to move along the seal, her fingertips just barely brushing the soft skin.

Kakashi sits quietly off to the side and watches Yayoi. Her eyes glide across the seal and look at nothing else. He watches a piece of her black hair falls just between her eyes and brushes against her pale skin. Her nose twitches but she otherwise ignores it. Her lips are pressed into a fine line as though she is mentally debating something with herself.

Moments later her eyes break away form naruto with a sigh. "The seal is very well made. I haven't seen anything like it." She pulls naruto shirt back over his stomach. The moment she said those words Kakashi knew there was going to be a 'however' involved in her explanation.

"There is however, a small flaw. So small I almost didn't even notice it. But it's there." Kakashi closed his visible eye and nodded his head. "I suggest we let Naruto be for now and not tell him what we found, I suspect the hokage will want us to relay this information before we can do anything anyway." Not waiting for an answer she releases her jutsu.

Blue eyes snap open and with a small groan naruto sits up. Getting off of the ground Yayoi turns to naruto. "Everything is fine with the seal, sorry to have bothered you." Yayoi bows and walks away in the general direction of the hokage tower.

"Naruto, why don't you go on home and rest. You've had a long day, and I'm sure the hokage will want to see you tomorrow."

As naruto watches the man disappear into a puff of smoke he frowns a little. "Just how exactly did I get here?" crossing his arms he closes his clue eyes. _'I remember being with Sakura-chan and Sasuke-teme. Then that weird lady grabbed my arm and...what? Hey Kyuubi do you know what happened after that?' N_aruto questioned mentally.

_'I was asleep. Now stop bothering me.'_ the deep voice of the Kitsune growled from within him._ 'Ok sheesh, no need to get cranky...' _Standing up on slightly shaking legs naruto decides to listen to the silver haired pervert and go home, only he can't remember why exactly the man is a pervert.

**XxXxXxxXxXxXx**

"So there is a problem with the boy's seal?" Yayoi nods at the hokage. "Yes, it was small but it was there. I can't say for sure how long we have before something big occurs. If we can get his mind stabilized before something worse happens there won't be anything to worry about, but if we can't..." Lowering her head Yayoi allowed her hair to fall across her eyes, shielding them from view.

_'He's so young and if he died now... Damn that Kitsune!'_

"Yayoi, why don't you go wait outside for a while. I still have things i wish to discuss with Kakashi. He will come and get you when we are finished; you will be staying with him for your duration in this village." Both Kakashi and Yayoi look at the hokage in shock.

_'This is not I had planned. I would rather face the kyuubi then stay with him. If it weren't for the problems with the seal I wouldn't have even needed to come here!'_

Nodding her head she gets up from the chair she was sitting in and quickly exits the room while silently fuming at the news.

"Now Kakashi, just how exactly do you know her?" Kakashi closes his eye. _'This is going to be a very long conversation.'_

**XxXxXxxXxXxXx**

"Kage Bushin no Jutsu" Naruto yelled and five naruto's appeared next to the real one. "Is that all you have?" Sasuke raises an eyebrow. "I'll get you teme!" naruto and his clones charge at Sasuke who just dodges. Throwing a few kunai three of the clones disappear when they are hit, along with one more when Sasuke kicks it into a tree.

"Too easy dobe." Sasuke said while watching the remaining clone. Something grabbed him from behind forcing him to remain stationary. Turning he was not met with blue eyes like he expected, but red ones. Naruto moved his lips closer to Sasuke's ear to whisper almost seductively.

"I'm not that easy." Licking the side of Sasuke's neck Naruto plunged a kunai into his chest. Sasuke's eyes widened almost comically as he tried to form words around the blood in his mouth.

Dropping Sasuke's body to the ground he watched with a smile as dark eyes closed. Laughing he closed his own eyes, everything turning white.

**-**

Naruto eyes opened with a start. "When did I even fall asleep?" looking out his window the sun was about to set casting an eerie red glow to everything the fading light touched.

_'Kyuubi, why am I sleeping so much lately? That can't be normal...'_

After a few moments with no response he figured the Kitsune was still sleeping. His stomach decided that it was time to eat something and let out a horrendous growl. Shaking his head naruto debated with himself if he should go out or not considering where that had led him earlier on in the day.

But the promise of a few hot bowls of ramen was too good of an opportunity to pass up. Running to his front door he slipped on his shoes and left within a matter of seconds.

With it being so close to dark there weren't really all that many people out and about; the few that were out would either give him dirty looks or ignore him completely. He didn't pay them any mind, when he became Hokage all that would change.

When he was only about twenty feet from Ichiraku's someone called out to him. "Naruto?" a dark haired boy with equally dark eyes and pale skin walked over to him. _'He looks very familiar... I wonder why?'_

"Where did that weird woman take you earlier after you diapered with her? Sakura was looking for you earlier, she was worried."

"Sakura-chan was worried about me? How do you know her anyway?" Dark eyes widened a fraction and the boy grabbed naruto arm. "Naruto we are going to go see Kakashi right now. It seems that you have forgotten your teammate as well." he proceeded to try and drag Naruto off in the other direction.

"Are you crazy? I not going anywhere with you!" Naruto shouts and is able to wrench his arm free after a small amount of struggling. "I had enough of this from that weird perverted guy Kakashi and then that chuunin earlier! Why don't you people get that I don't know you?!"

_'You should run before he restrains you again.'_ the Kyuubi's voice floated across his mind for the first time in a few hours. Silently agreeing Naruto bolted down a side street and continued running until he couldn't run any further.

"It...Took forever to lose him. No matter where I went he found me. But I think I finally lost him this time..."

With his hands on his knees naruto catches his breath while and looks around. "I'm in one of the training grounds. I wonder why I ran all the way over here?"

"Maybe I should just stay here and train for a little while to make sure that guy didn't follow me..." he walked a little further into the training grounds, his earlier hunger apparently forgotten.

'_Yes kit, go and train. It will solve everything.'_ Laughing, red eyes watched from inside a dark corner of naruto's mind.

**-End Chapter 3-**

**Shadow:** Muwahahaha Another Chapter bites the dust! -dances-

**Itachi:** It was a stupid place to end it...

**Shadow**: -pouts- You're just mad because you want to read more.

**Deidara:** How convenient for Yayoi to turn up just when all the trouble starts, don't you think? Un.

**Shadow:** Yup :) -looks around- pokes Itachi

**Itachi:** -glare of doom-

**Deidara:** Right... Just remember to review this if you like it. It makes Shadow happy. Un. But then again, she gets a little strange when she's 'happy'.

**Shadow:** -snorts pixie stixs- I'm a little tea pot...

**Deidara**: -sweat drop-


	5. Chapter 4: Will Never Be Again

**Disclaimer:** Nope still don't own naruto, if I did thee would be SOOO many Yaoi pairings…

**Chapter 4: "Will Never Be Again"**

_-A long time before- _

Doubling over she sobbed into her hands, her black hair falling over both of her quivering shoulders. Her hands moved to the earth, clenching the soft soil in her hands; tears mixed with dirt as she silently cried. Her heart felt as though it was going to burst, and not in a good way. Why were people always like that, why did things in her life always end up like that?

"Why..." gasping her breath caught, trembles ran through the slightly malnourished body. Blood seeped down from her left eye in sticky dark globs reminding her that there were other matters to attend to. Trying to get herself under control she put her hands further out in front of her and weakly attempted to stand. Trying twice more the fragile body lifted itself from the earth and stumbled foreword. Her legs were wobbly and she felt like she would faint any moment.

She didn't look back, she didn't stop crying, she just kept walking down the dirt path. She would never forget what happened that day but it didn't mean she couldn't try, couldn't burry her one more part of her past. At least for a while, until she came back.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

"Now Kakashi, just how exactly do you know her?" Kakashi closes his eye. _'This is going to be a very long conversation.'_

**-Flashback-**

The mission was simple, he had to keep an eye on some guy and if he was caught selling Konoha's secrets then he and the people he was talking to were to be killed immediately. Or at least that was the gist of the mission; he hadn't really been paying all that much attention to the hokage when he was being assigned the mission.

Following that man wasn't a problem at all, he was not a shinobi and therefore could not tell that he was being followed. It was a really boring mission. His face twisted into a slightly amused expression when the balding man's eyes locked onto a female shinobi. She had medium length black hair that was held up into a ponytail. She wore a black shirt that had no sleeve on the right side and a sleeve that covered her arm completely on the left side.

Along with that she wore a short skin tight skirt and black shinobi shoes. Her left leg was bandaged as well as her right hand. Noticing the mans stare she rolled her green eyes, from what he could make out from his position in the trees, and continued on her way only to stop a few feet away. She turned her head and looked right at the space between the trees where Kakashi was hiding.

Shaking her head after a moment she walked on; Kakashi was left with a slightly unsettled feeling. _'She shouldn't have been able to sense my chakra, even if she is an experienced shinobi.' _Deciding to put his thoughts on hold Kakashi leapt to another tree branch to continue following his mission 'target'.

**-End Flashback-**

"So that was how you met her. Or rather that was your first encounter with her?" Kakashi nodded silently to the Hokage's question; he secretly prayed that this would be the end of the interrogation. His prayers sadly, went unanswered.

"Continue on with your story. I have a feeling there are some things you are leaving out, besides the fact that you hadn't even talked to her yet from what you have told me." the hokage smiled at Kakashi making him frown before he continued.

**-Flashback-**

His target had gone to bed early and was in a deep sleep when Kakashi had decided to use a genjutsu and walk the streets. He had just bought himself something from a closing food stand when he felt a familiar presence. "Took you long enough to notice me. Now who are you, and what is your business here?" The black haired shinobi asked him. Her eyes gleamed in the moonlight giving them an almost eerie shine.

Placing a hand behind his head he smiled. "Oh me? I was just getting some food. Have i done something wrong?" he asked with fake concern. "Please don't belittle me. I know you are a ninja, every move you make proves it. Now answer my questions." her lips were pressed into a thin line and her hand twitched next to a kunai that was strapped to her belt.

"Really, even if I were a ninja you know i can't tell you my mission." he sighed. He really should have been paying more attention earlier. _'I'm going to get assigned really, really boring missions if this gets messed up.'_

"Then I will have to detain you." Kakashi smirked behind his mask. "You can try." He really didn't remember much else after that. His thoughts only seemed to collect later on as he slammed the female shinobi into a wall and kissed her with his now exposed lips; his mask having been thrown...somewhere. His hands traveled underneath her shirt and trailed along every inch of available skin. Gasping her brilliant green eyes clouded over with lust; she was truly beautiful.

His heartbeat raced in his ears when she grabbed his ass and forced him to grind into her. It sent any remaining blood south and he was no longer thinking of anything except her. Taking a shuddering breath things continued to heat up as her slender fingers quickly undid his belt and his pants were left to slip to the floor. He made her wrap her legs around his waist and he prepared to enter her roughly and fuck her against the wall-

"KAKASHI!" Looking at the hokage, who was now sporting a nosebleed, he mentally sighed at himself for getting caught up in the memories. "You said you wanted to know what went on between us..."

"Not in such detail..." A moment or two later the Hokage looked as though nothing had transpired. "What happened between that time, and the time when you left?"

"Well after that encounter. I mainly watched the man and slept with Yayoi every chance I got." the hokage seemed both slightly amused and disturbed by that. "Eventually the man met with three others and was beginning to discus the terms of selling Konoha's secrets for a price. That was when I killed them and watched for the next few days to make sure no one else came."

"You got close to her in your time together, didn't you Kakashi?" Kakashi refused to look at the hokage and continued on as though he had not heard him. "After those few days I told her that my mission was complete and I was leaving. And so I left and came back to the village." the hokage had a feeling that Kakashi was still hiding something but decided that he wouldn't purposely put the village in jeopardy so left it alone.

"On to other matters, do you think we can trust her?" to the hokage it was the most important question he could ask. Watching as Kakashi's face remained blank he waited for an answer.

**-FlashBack-**

He crouched on the roof of the partially crumbling building; he had hidden his face behind the dog faced ANBU mask. His trained muscles didn't so much as twitch at the horrible look of shock and disbelief crossed the emerald eyed beauties face. He watched as she clamped down on her emotions; her face turning into a blank canvas, but he had already seen enough.

"You of all people should know that shinobi will complete the mission in any way possible. Even if it means using people." his voice was deadly calm but if she had been listening to his heartbeat she would have immediately known he was lying to her. He watched as her hands turned into fists at her side. "So what exactly are you saying?" she growled out.

He closed his eye. "This was strictly business and nothing more. You were a good fuck but I have completed my mission, therefore I am leaving." He was expecting her to cry, to hit him, to do something other then what she did. She laughed; it was a dark and bitter laugh. Her hands were no longer fists. His insides hurt, for what reason he did not know.

Turning so that her back was facing him, she spoke. "You had better pray that your missions never take you here again. You are not among friends any longer." He could just barely see the outline of silver as tears spilled from her emerald eyes. She disappeared from sight a few moments later, but not before giving him one last glance. Those eyes would haunt him for years to come.

**-End Flashback-**

"Yes. And I would trust her with my life." Satisfied with Kakashi's answer the hokage motioned for Kakashi to leave.

_'I really hope we can trust her. We didn't part on good terms...'_ Kakashi nodded to the hokage before he exited the room; he was going to have trouble sleeping for a while now that Yayoi was back in his life.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

Still sitting on the bench outside of the hokage tower, Yayoi was silently fuming. _'Why should I get stuck with __him__! I'd rather be locked in a cell for my stay here then stay at __his__ place!' _outwardly growling she ignored the slightly startled looks of the few people that had heard her. Somewhere in the dark recesses of her thoughts, the 'rational' portion of her mind acknowledged the truth that she would not like to spend her time locked up. However that part was currently buried...

Hearing footsteps coming closer to her she took a deep breath and forced her less then pleased emotions to calm down. She hadn't trained all this time just to loose it over something to trivial. Not wanting to admit to herself how she knew it was Kakashi walking to her she stayed quiet while his lazy footsteps arrived next to her. "Now that everything is finished, I am supposed to direct you to my place." Chancing a look at Kakashi Yayoi took solace in the fact that he seemed just as unhappy about the arrangement as herself.

They walked slowly in an uncomfortable silence; neither willing to speak more then was required. _'So this is Konoha... I never really got a chance before to really look at it. It is beautiful, just as beautiful as he had described. But just as ugly as I had feared.'_ her last thoughts went to the people of the village. They had come very close to creating the monster they all feared so much; all because they mistreated a child. _'It really is amazing that he hasn't snapped yet, especially with how warped his seal is becoming due to his emotions...'_ She hadn't exactly told the hokage how close the child was to breaking. She feared that they would decide to kill him before she even had a chance to try and fix the problem. After all she herself had snapped and it had ended up, relatively ok. Almost walking into Kakashi's back she stopped and noted that Kakashi had just opened the door to a small apartment.

Kakashi waited until she was inside the apartment before closing the door quietly behind him. Yayoi's eyes quickly darted around the room taking everything in. It really was a small apartment. It had a small kitchenette _(which didn't look like it had ever been used),_ a small living room that had a beat up old couch and a bookcase she was sure was filled with Icha Icha Paradise among other things. Taking off the bag she had been carrying underneath her cloak she set it down on the floor and wandered off to look at the rest of the place. There was one bathroom and one bedroom, and a closet or two she didn't really care to look at. She supposed she could force Kakashi out of his bedroom but after looking at the state of said bedroom she decided the lumpy looking couch was a much better idea.

"I'm sleeping on the couch." she didn't even spare him a glance as she moved past him and to his kitchen. Opening the fridge she shook her head. _'He must officially live off of takeout. And what the hell is that? When was the last time he actually opened this?'_ raising her eyebrow in mild disgust and closed the door on what she was sure was hazardous material. It could not be normal for something to have blue fuzz covering it, and that was only the lid. Turning around she spied fruit on the counter, after eyeing it a little suspiciously she grabbed an apple she had deemed safe and bit into it.

Allowing a small noise of contentment to escape she finished the apple and inquired as to where she might dispose of it_. 'This might work, if I don't talk maybe he'll get bored and leave me alone...I need a shower.'_ with that thought in mind she rooted around her bag and pulled out a set of extra clothes. "I'm taking a shower."

Ignoring Kakashi for the moment she shuffled into his bathroom and closed the door. She walked past the mirror that hung over the sink to the right or the shower. She hated her reflection, she had ever since she was a child, and she had every reason to. Every time she looked at her mismatched eyes she remembered why she was doing what she was doing. Striping herself of clothes she let the discarded articles fall carelessly to the tile floor.

Stepping into the shower she released a sigh when the hot water washed over her. It was refreshing; the knots that had settled into her shoulders began to loosen. Looking at her arms as she rubbed soap onto them she scowled. She tried to ignore the scars that marred her pale flesh but failed miserable at it. Almost flinching as her hands ran over her chest and consequently over her' seal', she groaned.

_'Everything happened because of you!_' she mused bitterly and scrubbed her chest roughly. Not that the demon could feel that, all she was doing was irritating herself. _'That village destroyed me, made me feel like I was worthless. I won't let that happen to anyone else. Not if I can prevent it, even if it means killing shinobi of this village. Its not like I haven't done that before.' _she thought back to her own village as she continued quickly washing her body and starting on her hair. While she had run away from her village, she had also promised to come back and that when she did they would regret ever fucking with her. And she had made good on her promise.

She had walked into the village in broad daylight and murdered the council, as well as a few other 'select' individuals. She also destroyed a lot of the buildings and had laid waste to the hospital there. She had left it at that, and hadn't returned since. She doubted that there would be anyone after her from that village, since nobody had seen her nor recognized her. She smiled at that. _'That boy and I are more alike then I'd care to admit. He has the potential to become me one day. What a horrid thought.' _

Stepping out of the waters spray she curses when she realizes she never grabbed a towel before entering the bathroom. The door opened fully with a slight squeak to reveal Kakashi holding a large white fluffy towel. Yayoi didn't even have time to think about being naked in front of him before she was pressed against the wall in one bruising motion. She watched through half lidded eyes as Kakashi pulled down his mask and lowered his head until his lips touched her own. It was a feeling she had long told herself to forget.

Leaning into the kiss, her back was now fully pressed into the chilly wall while water still dripped from her body; the spray of the shower could be heard gently in the background. Moaning softly her hands wandered to the back of his head pulling him ever closer, the fine silver strands entangled in her grip. Through parted lips Kakashi's tongue invaded her mouth and waged a war with her own. Green eyes opened, even though Yayoi didn't remember closing them, and met the heated stare of Kakashi's eye. His left hand traveled down and lightly touched her breast; the pounding on the door broke the moment and the pair flew apart.

Kakashi walks off and lazily heads toward the door, his facemask firmly back in place. Grabbing the towel that had been dropped to the floor, Yayoi wrapped it around herself and left the confines of the steamed up bathroom. Leaning on the wall she watched as Kakashi opened the door to reveal the ponytailed chuunin whom naruto had seemingly forgotten. Gazing at Kakashi's hair she couldn't help but notice that it was slightly more chaotic then usual, probably from when she had grabbed a handful to pull him closer. Her face heated in memory of what had just occurred mere moments earlier. The chuunin looked her way and with an amused look on his lips 'noticed' Kakashi's hair. He left not long after that.

_'Oh kami...What did we almost... I swore I wouldn't do this again..._' sliding down the wall she sat on the floor. She felt like finding a nice corner to hide in, and staying their indefinitely. "The Hokage needs to see us immediately. Get ready." Nodding numbly she somehow managed to lift her seemingly unresponsive body off the floor and change into a spare set of clothing. She noted with distaste that she couldn't get rid of the feeling of his lips on her own.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

"I wonder where Sasuke-kin is right now? I wanted to ask him to lunch." Sakura mumbled dejectedly. _'Oh well, maybe he's training. I should go check._' With a small smile Sakura neared the training grounds but stopped as she spied naruto.

"What…?" He was stumbling as he walked and looked as though he had been in a battle rather then training. His orange jumpsuit was town in many places and had a few blood stains on it.

"Naruto!" she called out to him but he just kept on walking, moving a little more quickly it appeared. A little annoyed Sakura decided to follow him and give him a piece of her 'mind', or rather her fist.

'_Why is he heading over there? All that's there is one of the walls….'_

Sakura was running at full speed just to keep up with naruto now. He increased his speed and jumped over the wall that separated the village and the outside. Sakura hesitated a moment when it started to rain, but quickly made her way over the wall as well. Her concern for her teammate took over all other thoughts.

'_Where is he going?'_

Naruto ran through the forest at a high speed and at one point sakura thought she had lost him. She stopped when she came to a small clearing of sorts; out of breath she saw a flash of blond. _'He's just standing there… He looks… Lost?'_ walking over to naruto she stopped a few feet away but he did nothing.

"Naruto?" Sakura questioned, hesitantly taking a step toward him. His head was still down and his dark golden locks of hair spilled across him eyes. Those eyes that were no longer blue, but not quit red. More of a faded, lifeless purple. He was standing in place, his muscles rigid and set in place, his fingers curled.

Sakura gently placed a shaking hand on one of his shoulders. He gave no response, nothing to indicate that he recognized or felt anything. "Wake up..." she whispered."Please!" There was no response and the rain continued to fall.

**--**

_"Hey Kyuubi?"_ a soft voice asked. Blood red eyes shifted to the smaller entity. Naruto took that action as a sign to continue_. "Why can't I seem to remember people anymore? I mean... I know some of their faces but..."_ he trailed off.

A few of the Kyuubi's tails swished and its large eyes were fixated on the smaller form. Naruto continued, _"I can't recall a name or any memories that go with that face or words associated with it... Why is that?"_

The Kyuubi's lips twitched upwards into a twisted smile, which to anyone else would look like a snarl. _"My dear, dear kit."_ The kyuubi began, its wild eyes gleaming_. "I do not know of what you speak. Perhaps they were never there at all?"_ The large fox leaned down closer to where Naruto sat on the floor.

_"Or perhaps they are the ones delusional, and you are the one that never existed. The one that will fade away and become just a face? Hmmm..?"_ The tails continued to swish gracefully back and forth.

**--**

Lightning flashed making sakura quickly close her eyes. The resounding clap of thunder came as a surprise causing her to jump. A low, guttural snarl could be heard under the roar of thunder. Slowly opening her eyes, adrenaline flowing through her veins, emerald met violet. The rain twisting her vision so much that she thought she saw a fox like shape surrounding him. Rubbing her blurry eyes, the shape vanished.

"Naruto!" The smile he gave her was twisted and sick. "Naruto's not here right now; can I give him a message?" Emerald eyes widened and stared listlessly at the growing pool of blood surrounding her feet, bubbling and mixing with the rain. Her heart was beating rapidly in her ears, her brain still trying to catch up with her body. "Why." she gasped. "How...could you?" blood pooled in her esophagus cutting of anything else she wished to say. The claws on the hand inside of her chest flexed making her cry out.

"You foolish people should have never left him alone. His mind was far too easy to mold and manipulate. But you won't tell anyone, now will you?" The claws slowly punctured the young girls heart, effectively ending her short life.

Rather then just leaving the body formerly known as sakura on the ground as it was, Kyuubi's grin widened to the point where his hosts features were no longer 'normal' looking. Plunging a clawed hand back into the body's chest cavity, he viciously tore the heart out with spurts of blood following. Smelling the sweet metallic sent of blood, he opened his mouth to reveal long sharp teeth.

His tongue left his mouth and gently caressed the heart that was in his bloodstained hand. The blood tasted so sweet, it was an overwhelming flavor. Retracting the tongue he bit into the heart; taking a piece into his mouth and swallowing it in seconds. "Not half bad. It would taste better if I had my own body back. But the kids taste buds are alright." Laughing in a deep voice that was so foreign to that body, the kyuubi continued to eat the heart as he left the scene of his 'awakening', leaving Sakura's body in the rain.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

There was a knock on the large doors to his office and with a sigh he called them in; he already knew who it would be. Kakashi and Yayoi staggered into the office, Kakashi's hair looking more disorderly then usual and Yayoi appeared to be in a slight daze. Shaking his head, the hokage set aside amusement for a more serious attitude.

"Naruto is missing, and no one has seen him since you checked his seal. I want you two to go and search for him. And bring him here."

Yayoi frowned but said nothing. _'He's planning on killing him. Damn looks like I've run out of time.'_

"You will leave now, and no one else is to know of this." The both of them nodded before exiting the Hokage's office, and the tower itself. It was still raining; it had been raining ever since she had decided to take her shower.

"Where do you suppose we should-" Yayoi's voice trailed off and she growled slightly. "The kyuubi?" Yayoi nodded to Kakashi before her eyes locked onto the gates of Konoha, her eyes narrowed.

"He's just outside the gates somewhere in the forest. There was a small discharge of the Kyuubi's chakra. Just enough for me to notice it.

Rushing off in the direction of the forest she didn't check to see if Kakashi was following her or not. _'I can't trust him to help me with Naruto even if only a small portion of the Kyuubi's chakra is leaking out. He is loyal to his village, not his student.'_

Growling again she bared her teeth which were more fine pointed then before. Her fingernails became sharper and more claw like, she allowed herself to tap into a small portion of the Ookami's power. But not enough for it to take over, or even think of taking over.

She hadn't told them, but the seal on her body was weakening and would eventually fail. That was why she was trying to get as much done as possible before she had to end her life, and with her the biju. Something in the air smelt different then before.

She smelled blood. Jumping down from the branch she was on she missed landing in a newly formed mud puddle. There was so much rain it was almost imposable to see anything.

If it weren't for the smell she wouldn't have know where to go. The pungent coppery smell of blood mixed with the sweet refreshing smell of rain. It was almost sickening. Continuing on a few paces she stopped again.

"We're too late..."

There was a rustling sound behind her and she didn't need to turn to know that it was Kakashi. "Too late for what?" Kakashi stopped short at the scene before him.

"Sakura...No.."

The young shinobi's body lay crumpled on the wet earth, blood spreading around her and being mixed with the rain. She was missing a rather vital organ that used to be inside her chest. Along with a gaping whole, her heart had been torn from her body.

"Naruto...?" Kakashi looked to her in question. "He is probably completely gone, there may be a possibility that he still exists, trapped within the Kyuubi's mind..." she was silent for a moment, just watching as more blood was washed away.

"But I wouldn't count on it..."

**-End Chapter 4-**

**Shadow:** So… this is my longest chapter yet, did anyone else like it?

**Itachi:** Hn

**Shadow:** Why thank you for your words of wisdom. **–rolls her eyes-** Anyway….It took FOREVER to do this chapter, after the last chapter had to be rewritten because my computer decided to be evil and DELETE it, I really wasn't motivated to write for a while. But fear not! I WILL NOT abandon this fic!

**Deidara**: Could you have talked a little more? I'm not sure we used another page yet.

**Shadow**: **-glares-** ok you know the drill, leave a review if you fell like being nice, but either way I'm going to write this fic. Until next time…..However long that may be……


	6. Chapter 5: Time before Last

**AN:** I DON'T OWN THEM!! -cries- why can't you let me pretend?!

**Shadow:Ok **as for gramatical errors and what not... it's 5 am and there is no way i'm gongi to catch them all or maybe even half of them...I also want to say that i really can't write fight scenes.. i think i suck at them so sorry fo that in advance. If you have any suggestions for me in the future please share. I'd appreciate the feedback greatly. Just no flames, K? Thanks.

Chapter 5: "Time before Last"

"You need to inform you're hokage of what has happened. I will chase the kyuubi." Kakashi shook his head. "You are not going after him by yourself. We both are going back to the hokage." Kakashi's voice was slightly chipped and she wondered if it was because that corpse had once been his genin. "He is not _my_ hokage, and i will do as i please. Besides we need someone to follow the kyuubi."

Kakashi looked as though he was going to protest again so she put a finger to his masked lips. "You need to take the girls body back to your village, and explain everything to your hokage. I AM going after the kyuubi. If you do not leave i will either make you leave, or make it so that you can not follow me." taking her hand away from his face she let it rest at her side. Kakashi nodded in defeat, knowing that it was pointless to argue with her at the present time. "Go." he said softly. Nodding she leapt into the trees and didn't give him so much as a backwards glance as she raced after they boy. _'I hope it not too late... I really do.'_

Rushing through the trees she followed the almost invisible charka signature. This one time, and only this one time, she would thank the Ookami for the advanced senses that allowed her to follow what a normal shinobi would not be able to. _'I have a feeling that i should have arrived here a few days earlier... it might have made more of a difference.' _Jumping to a lower branch she slightly changed direction to the north. "I've got you now." speeding up she could feel the chakra more strongly now. After a few hundred more feet she caught sight of an orange jumpsuit. She knew he had to have sensed her by now.

The boy head turned toward her and as soon as she saw the eyes she knew. _'I can't save him, his mind snapped... the kyuubi has complete control over him now. His consciousness has probably been pushed so far back it's unreachable to anyone now.'_ closing her eyes for a moment she opened them and they stared right into the deep purple eyes. She would show no mercy. "If I can't save you, I will kill you." she lunged at the boy who merely laughed. It was a horrible sound and she idly wondered if that pink haired girl heard it before her death.

Dodging, the kyuubi landed in a defensive stance which Yayoi copied. Neither moved a muscle each of them staring at the other, then as a leaf floated past their vision they went at each other. Kunai vs. claws. Ookami vs. Kitsune. Blocking the kunai aimed for his neck the Kyuubi grabbed Yayoi's left arm, the claws digging in deep, and threw her to the side. She back flipped and used the momentum to fling herself back at the biju. "I'm not going down that easily." Her eyes glanced over the boys body. There was a feint outline of two swishing tails and a pair of ears; so light Yayoi almost thought she imagined it.

_'He is stronger then he should be; especially with only such a small flaw in the seal. He had to have found another way to draw forth his power from within the seal. Which would mean Kyuubi has been planning this for far longer then it seemed. Damn it!' _barely dodging the claws aimed for her head she ducked down and tried to kick his feet out form underneath him. Jumping to avoid the kick the Kitsune attacked while Yayoi was still close to the ground. Claws dug deep into her right side just below her ribs and she hissed in pain. Grabbing a kunai she rammed it into the boys arm allowing her enough time to escape. Breathing heavily she looked into the Kyuubi's eyes once more.

And once more they were moving toward each other, Yayoi considerably slower then she had previously been. She was allowing hits to her body more frequently as her strength gave out. _'Damn, i don't want to use the Ookami's power... but i might not have a choice soon.'_ She could feel hot blood leak from her wounded side; the quicker she moved the more blood that spilled. _'At this rate i won't even be able to use that power...' _she looked on in silent amazement as a third tail appeared.

"Are you going to do more than dodge? You're boring me." the Kyuubi mock yawned trying to get a rise out of Yayoi. "Only an idiot would charge at you..." as Yayoi said that she realized that she was that idiot. _'There isn't much i CAN do right now.'_ Running toward the Kyuubi she had a kunai in each hand; leaping into the air she lunged. The Kyuubi smirked making the boys lips stretch as far as they could go, and seemingly further still. With a small burst of speed the Kyuubi caught both of her hands much to Yayoi's shock and tugged her downward slamming her into the ground. With a startled groan she weakly pushed her self onto an elbow. "You should have let me escape. Fool."

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**.

Kakashi made it back to Konoha after only a short amount of time; they hadn't been very far from the village when they had found Sakura's body. Sprinting into the hokage tower and into his office Kakashi allowed himself to breath a little. With a startled expression the Hokage looked at the body in his arms. "Is she-"

"The Kyuubi killed her." Kakashi said emotionlessly before the Hokage could even finish his question. He doubted there was even a need for the question 'is she dead' in the first place, there was so much blood covering her body even now after all that rain that it was impossible not to see she wasn't alive. Gently placing his former students' body in a chair Kakashi faced the Hokage. "I am heading back out to go after Yayoi, she is following the kyuubi."

"I will send four ANBU with you, they will meet you at the main gate. I suggest both of you explain the current situation to a better extent when you get back." Kakashi nodded numbly and made a move to leave before the Hokage stopped him. "Is there no saving him?" Kakashi tensed. "Yayoi doesn't know for sure, but it doesn't look good." leaping out of the window he ran across the roof tops and headed for the main gate.

_'One student dead and I am going to have to kill the other. When did being a shinobi become so complicated?'_ shaking those thoughts from his mind he spotted four ANBU arriving at the gate, nodding to them they took off into the forest with Kakashi in the lead. He forced himself to ignore the spot where they had found Sakura's body as they past it and kept moving toward Yayoi's chakra.

_'It's getting fainter...' _Kakashi doubled his efforts and didn't worry about the ANBU keeping up with him. Within ten minutes he was closing in on Yayoi's fading chakra signature. Stopping as he saw her and the Kyuubi's fighting Kakashi watched as Yayoi was forcefully thrown into a nearby tree; sliding down she slumped to the ground leaving blood on the tree bark. The Kyuubi smirked at the ANBU as they begin their chase of him. Watching as they disappeared through the trees Kakashi walked quickly over to Yayoi. Kneeling down he carefully brushed a stray piece of ink black hair away from her face. Her emerald eyes were shifty and unfocused; she didn't even seem to have realized what had happened. Her eyes locked with his for a moment before they fluttered shut leaving her head to loll to the side. Blinking in silent alarm Kakashi checked for a pulse and sighed when he found one.

"You need to pay more attention to your wounds in battle. You're going to get yourself killed otherwise..." Gently he slid an arm around her shoulders and one under her legs to lift her up. "You need to eat more as well." Kakashi mused to himself. He could do nothing about the Kyuubi for the moment. The ANBU were on it and if they couldn't detain the Kyuubi then he doubted his presence would have made much of a difference. Running along the forest floor was his only choice, if he was to jump along the tree branches and something managed to go wrong he could accidently drop his precious cargo. And that was not something he was willing to do. At a slightly slower pace he made his way back to Konoha and to the hospital, only one of the biju in tow.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

"So the little humans are following me? I think I'll let catch up." Kyuubi smiled, but there was a malicious intent hidden in that simple smile. Dropping to the ground the Kyuubi made one Kage Bushin of himself and sent it to the left while he continued north at a slower pace. He could sense the chakra of an ANBU member approaching swiftly. Pretending that he didn't notice the ANBU following him he stopped to 'rest' and that was when the ANBU attacked. Turning sharply the purple eyes of the Kyuubi stared at the white mask for a moment before kicking the ANBU into a tree. Rushing after him Kyuubi growled low in his throat and raised his claws. He couldn't see the eyes of the person behind the mask but he could almost taste the fear; it was practically intoxicating to him.

With a raised kunai the deer masked ANBU blocked Kyuubi's left hand but failed to block the right. The claws sank deep into the flesh of the person's neck causing blood to squirt onto him. Licking at the small droplets he bared his teeth and crushed the deer mask with his right hand. Feeling particularly vicious he smashed the man's skull into the tree repeatedly until there was a crunch; the back of the skull caving in under the brutal treatment. Smirking in satisfaction he licked the blood off of his claws and continued on, wondering how his Kage Bushin was doing with the two ANBU following it.

Proceeding to run on the forest floor Kyuubi waited for the other ANBU to catch up with him. He thankfully didn't have to wait long; he was getting tired of all the theatrics and even though it was fun to play with the humans he really only wanted to put distance between him and them. After all no need to give his container a chance to gain control, not that he would but one can never be too careful.

Jumping onto a tree branch Kyuubi got behind the ANBU and dove for him. This one seemed smarter and dodged the attack. Both of them landed on the ground and Kyuubi disappeared from sight. He allowed the man to see a few glimpses of himself before he went for the kill. The cat masked ANBU blocked again much to Kyuubi's displeasure. "So they are sending out more capable shinobi after me?" The cat masked ANBU got behind him and a kunai dug into Kyuubi's spine; there was a 'poof' a moment later and the kunai was embedded in a log. The cat mask fell from the ANBU's face from the force of the Kyuubi's arm going through his chest. Blood spilled from the ANBU's mouth as he made gargling sounds and slumped forward, the hand being retracted from the body. Kyuubi paused for a moment as his Bushin's memories filled his head.

_--"So the two of you are going to attack me at once? Now that's hardly fair." the Kyuubi shook his head sending blond locks of hair moving back and forth. The boar and crow masked ANBU advanced on him. He dodged all of the attacks and sent one of them flying backwards with a kick; they back flipped and remained unharmed. Closing the cap between himself and the boar mask he lashed out with his claws and managed to swipe the shoulder before dodging a shurikan from the crow mask. Growling in mock annoyance he backed away allowing his prey to come to him. _

_As both of them attacked he went after the crow mask since he was currently uninjured. Taking out a hidden kunai he plunged it in-between his ribs and leapt backwards to kick at the boar mask. Letting his foot be grabbed he propelled himself forward and bit the ANBU's neck while pushing him to the ground. Tearing at the soft flesh of the neck he didn't stop until the man had stopped withering and lay motionless in the dirt. Looking up his wild eyes locked with the crow mask and he lunged at him. Blood running down his chin Kyuubi extended his arm and almost sliced the crow's throat open. The crow mask ducked and kicked out one of Kyuubi's legs; catching him as he fell a kunai was thrust into his heart. Before the Bushin disappeared his claws neatly sliced through the crow's mask and into the man's face.-- _

"So one of them survived? Oh well, can't kill everyone. I doubt he'll be following me." Kyuubi once more took to the trees deciding to put as much distance between himself and that damnable shinobi village as possible.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

She was awake for a minute or two before she actually opened her eyes staring at an unfamiliar ceiling. The blankets that covered her were warm but scratchy and she wasn't sure she liked the way it made her stomach heat up. _'I must be in the hospital if the bed is this stiff...' _thinking back to her battle with Kyuubi she tried to piece together 'why' exactly she would be in the hospital. Tallying up all the wounds she had gotten she was surprised she had lasted that long in the fight with just her power alone. _'That last kick did a number on me...Kakashi?!'_ the sudden realization that he had been hovering over her broken form made her wonder where he was. _'Even he's not stupid enough to go after the Kyuubi by himself...Unlike me.'_

"So you are awake now? Good. I have a few things to ask you." the Hokage surprised her as he sat down on a chair to her right; Kakashi walking in and sitting on the edge of her bed. She felt a slightly childish urge to push him off the bed but refrained from doing so. "What happened when you went after the Kyuubi?" closing her eyes for a moment as she felt the pounding of her heart in her ears, she began to speak.

"When i caught up with him, his eyes were no longer blue but a purple color. More red then purple actually." Seeing the concerned looks thrown between the Hokage and Kakashi she continued. "The Kyuubi was in complete control as i fought with him. He seemed to have found a way to pull his power from the seal without it breaking or adversely affecting him. It seems as though he had been planning this for a long time now. I have to admit that things are far worse then i originally thought they were." her voice gave out and she winced as she felt her throat constrict painfully. She was saved form talking much more when the door was flung open revealing a shinobi in ANBU garb covered in blood.

The man slumped to the floor and spoke quietly, his face twitching with the effort. "The Kyuubi killed the others... I was lucky to get away... I was only fighting his Kage Bushin." Nurses were already surrounding the fallen shinobi and beginning to treat him as the Hokage stood. "Kakashi, i want you to take Yayoi home and have her rest. Her injuries may have been healed but her chakra was nearly depleted. Bring her back later when she is feeling better." with that said the Hokage left their company. Not bothering t mention that the Ookami residing in her would make up for that lost chakra she watched him leave.

Struggling to sit up Yayoi felt as though she had a thousand pound weight sitting on her chest preventing her from moving. "Didn't you hear him say to rest? You're worse then my students..." as he said this a shadow crossed his eyes and Kakashi became silent. Shaking his thoughts away Kakashi picked up Yayoi bridal style much to her futile struggling._ 'At least he's warm...' _Yayoi's eyes closed and she allowed herself to be carried not having the strength to do much otherwise. Although she had woken up not that long before, weariness set in once again and she was back asleep before they had even left the hospital.

Transporting them both to his apartment Kakashi walked down the hallway and carefully deposited Yayoi on his bed. He maneuvered her so that she was under the blankets. Leaning foreword he pulled the covers over her prone form; hesitating for a moment Kakashi gave her a quick kiss on the lips before heading back out of his bedroom and shutting the door behind himself.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

Emerald eyes snapped open; there was no transition from asleep to awake. She simply opened her eyes. Her stomach twisted painfully and she threw back the blankets that had been covering her. Standing up she silently wished she hadn't. Her eyes couldn't seem to focus on anything making the room sway dangerously in every direction. _'Have.. to...leave..'_ stumbling across the room to the door her world was spinning. A sharp pain behind her eyes almost halted her movements; pushing past the pain she staggered to the bathroom as quietly as she could. Fumbling with the door she managed to shut it, the door locking with an audible click.

She made it a few steps before her legs gave out; falling to her knees she clutched her stomach in agony. Her left hand found its way to her mouth and she clasped it firmly over her lips to cover a gasp. _'Fuck.'_ was her only thought as she threw up blood. Coughing she nearly gagged on the overbearing metallic taste that invaded her senses. Although her hand was pressed tightly over her lips blood leaked around the appendage and onto the white floor. Breathing harshly she tried to be quiet. Her stomach clenched again and more blood spilled out from her lips. Hissing in pain she doubled over almost completely. _'You said i would have more time! You said this wouldn't happen for a while! You stupid Ookami!'_ she thought viciously. "The effects weren't supposed to show so quick...they weren't!" the pain peaked and she almost bit through her lower lip in an effort to stay silent.

Her left hand rested upon the blood covered tile floor of the bathroom; fingers curled in an effort to grasp something, anything. Moaning softly, she allowed her weakened body to slump sluggishly against the wall. Everything was loud in her ears. Her breathing sounded so noisy she was sure that Kakashi would be knocking on the door any second to find out what was wrong. But he didn't. After a few more minutes she opened her eyes and weakly looked around the bathroom. Seeing a towel on the rack she sighed. Moving into a standing position her body protested angrily. For a moment she thought she was going to end up back on the floor adding more blood to the once completely white tile. "Thank kami..." she whispered as the feeling passed. Stepping around the blood she grabbed the towel and went back into a kneeling position to clean the blood. _'I wonder if i have enough time to check the remaining jinchuuriki? He said it would be anywhere form two years to a few months left once i started to cough blood...'_ Checking to make sure she hadn't missed any blood she was once again upright.

Throwing the towel under the sink she figured he wouldn't find it until she was gone anyway. Looking at the sink she noticed blood dripping into it. Confused she looked into the mirror. Her lip was bruised and bleeding from where she had bitten it. Sighing she turned the faucet on she stuck her lip under the cool water. She kept it there until the water no longer turned pink. "How exactly am i going to explain that...?" her shoulders slumped in resignation. She would have to make something up that was believable. Unlocking the bathroom door she walked out and headed to the small living room area where she suspected Kakashi would be. She found him sitting on the couch reading Icha Icha Paradise. He looked up from the book to glance at her. His gaze stopped on her lip and rested there for longer then was necessary but he didn't say anything. "Get ready. The hokage wanted to see us both when you woke up." Looking at her clothes she shrugged, they would do for now. She had a sneaking suspicion that the Hokage would make them wait until the next day to go hunt the Kyuubi. "We can go now." Nodding Kakashi got off the couch and grabbed her arm before they both disappeared.

They arrived just outside of the Hokage's office and Yayoi felt the urge to vomit again. "I guess we're walking back." Kakashi said with what sounded like a sigh at the end_. 'He probably thinks I'm still recovering from the fight with the Kyuubi. How wrong he is...'_ Following him into the Hokage's office she remained silent. "I see you have finally woken up. That's good." the old man said with a smile from behind the desk. Yayoi resisted the urge to strangle him. _'I hate people who take forever to get to the point.'_

Sensing her discomfort and mistaking it for weariness, the Hokage cut the pleasantries short. "I am sending you both after Naruto. But you will not head out until dawn, i want you both to be well rested." he made a point of looking at Yayoi who frowned in return. "If it is not possible to subdue him, you have permission to kill him. With that said, i will see the both of you before the mission. Goodnight." the Hokage finished with a soft dismissal leaving the pair to walk silently out of his office. _'So, he still hasn't given up hope for that boy? I wish it were that easy...'_

Seeing as she had been in Kakashi's apartment before, she had not seen how late it actually was. _'It's nearly dark now. There are only a few wisps of light left.'_ If she squinted she could barely make out the outline of the gates leading out of Konoha. _'Too bad this wasn't my village. Even though i would have been treated poorly, it would have been a beautiful place to live. Unlike my former village.' _Her belly started to heat up and she wondered if the Ookami was trying to heal something. Coming out of her thoughts she stopped as a black haired boy walked up to her. _'He's the one form earlier...'_

"Where are Naruto and Sakura?!" blinking at the question she raised an eyebrow which seemed to further irritate the boy. "Now why would you think either of us would know Sasuke?" Kakashi said while stopping next to Yayoi. "I know you know something! She has been around every time something has happened to him! Now where are they?!" Sasuke demanded again while glaring at Yayoi. To tired to play games, Yayoi decided to give the boy a dose of reality. "Go to your Hokage and ask him about your precious pink haired friend. Forget about Naruto, he won't be alive much longer anyway." her voice was emotionless and she felt nothing even as the boy and Kakashi looked at her in (shock.)

"How could i ever forget about someone who means everything to me?! And what do you mean dead? Tell me!" she could see the boys eyes turn red, the Sharingan spinning wildly. _'Could never forget someone who means everything to him?'_ looking at Kakashi her chest constricted painfully. _'I only wish i could forget as easily as i told you...' _Ignoring Sasuke she walked on down the road despite his demands for her to stop. She could hear Kakashi telling him not to worry about anything and to go home, or something like that. She really didn't care what he told the boy, she knew that he would go to the Hokage and find out the truth.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

Sasuke ran as fast as his legs could manage all the while trying to quell the growing panic rising deep within his chest. Slipping on a loose roof tile he leapt to his left and continued on; ignoring the guards stationed outside the Hokage tower he ran inside and flung open the doors. The old Hokage looked at the young Uchiha in mild shock, but his gaze turned to pity and it made the blood in Sasuke's veins freeze. "Where are Naruto and Sakura?" With a small shake of his head the Hokage motioned for him to come forward. "Take a seat and shut the doors behind you if you will." with stiff movements Sasuke did as asked and once he was seated he stared directly at the Hokage. Knowing the boy would not leave without the truth the Hokage made his decision.

"Sasuke this may be hard for you to hear, but your team is gone." Sasuke's eyes widened. "What do you mean 'gone'? Explain." The Hokage put his elbows on the dark wooded desk and folded his hands. "Sakura is dead, Naruto killed her." Rage filled Sasuke's eyes and he abruptly stood. "Naruto would never do anything like that, especially not to Sakura!"

"Naruto harbors the Kyuubi, who is not dead like everyone believes. It was sealed inside of him when he was a baby. Unfortunately there were unforeseen problems with the seal and the Kyuubi has gained control of Naruto's body." Sasuke felt his legs fail him and he slid back into the chair. "The Kyuubi...? But Naruto..."

"Naruto's consciousness is buried so deep within his own mind that there is little hope of him ever regaining control over his body again. In the morning i am sending a team to detain the Kyuubi and we will go from there. If, however he can not be detained he will be killed on site. I'm sorry." Sasuke stilled as he digested the information given to him. _'Naruto is the Kyuubi. No, Naruto has the Kyuubi within him. Sakura is dead- Wait kill him on site?! No..'_ Standing Sasuke bolted from the room leaving the Hokage to stare sadly at his retreating form.

He didn't know were he was running or if he had already stopped. His thoughts flew through his mind at an alarming rate making him loose himself in the chaos.

When rational thoughts finally came back to Sasuke he was laying on his living room floor panting lightly. All around him was destruction. Kunai and shurikan stuck out of broken pieces of furniture, things were knocked over, and lamps were broken with the fine chunks of glass scattered across the stained hardwood floors. Everything was destroyed or at least severely damaged. "Liar!" Sasuke shouted with his eyes closed. "Liar..." he whispered breathlessly.

A tear made its way down his cheek and he shuddered. "How can you become Hokage if you aren't even in the village? Dobe... come back..." finally letting exhaustion take over he drifted into a light fitful sleep.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

Kakashi had caught up with Yayoi after talking to Sasuke and trying reassure him that everything was fine. Her face was completely void of all emotion, and her body betrayed nothing. "You shouldn't have said anything to Sasuke. He is very impulsive and will probably go to the Hokage rather then listen to me." He noticed her shoulders stiffen ever so slightly but she otherwise ignored him.

"Why did you tell him Naruto wouldn't be alive much longer? We were told to kill only if we couldn't subdue him." Kakashi asked with genuine curiosity. It was after all Yayoi who had wanted to save the boy the most; endangering herself for the sake of someone she didn't even know. Stopping, Yayoi turned her gaze to Kakashi. Kakashi noted with interest that her left eye looked a little past him and seemed a lighter shade of green then the right one. He wondered why he had not notice that before. "I only told that boy Sasuke the truth. Since i can't save Naruto, i will kill him." She turned and walked away from him again and he wondered why he suddenly felt the urge to pull her into a hug.

Shaking his head he followed her back to his apartment in an uncomfortable silence. Once back inside the apartment with the door locked and both of them in the same room together Kakashi decided to ask a question. "Why is your left eye different?" He watched as a small amount of surprise graced her pale features. "You finally noticed..." she flopped down onto his couch boneless and waited until he had sat down as well before she said anything else.

"I'm mostly blind in that eye. It's from when the Rokubi no Ookami tried to take over. I had to practically claw out my own eye to gain control again. My eye has been like that since i was eight." Blinking, Kakashi realized he really didn't know much about the woman sitting before him. That left a rather unsettling feeling in the pit of his stomach that he didn't like. _'In all the time I've spent with her we never really talked. I never thought that would actually bother me.'_

Feeling her eyes droop she stubbornly tried to keep them from closing all the way, keeping them half lidded against their will. "You should rest if you are tired. We have a lot to do starting early tomorrow." her eye twitched but she remained silent. She was sleeping on the couch anyway so why bother moving, she'd fall asleep when she had exhausted her reserves. With a slightly irritated sigh Kakashi got off of his couch and picked the half sleeping woman up. With a sound of pure disdain Yayoi tried to wiggle out of his grip. "You need sleep, now stop fidgeting."

Walking down the very short hallway he entered his bedroom and deposited her on the bed and covered her with the blankets. "Sleep. We'll talk when this is over." his words didn't really register with her sleep fogged brain but she nodded nevertheless. _'I guess i really am tired... stupid Ookami.'_ turning her face so that it was half buried in the pillow she absentmindedly noted that it smelled like Kakashi. Smiling briefly she drifted off into sleep.

-End Chap-

Shadow: And the plot thickens!! Dun dun dun! Haha! Anyway this is the second to last chapter, that's right that means the next chapter ends it all! Yatta!! I'm so excited.. Even i don't know how this story will end, i have been mulling idea's around inside my brain for the past week and i still can't decide EXACTLY how its going to end. I guess I'll find out when I'm done writing that chapter now wont i?


	7. Chapter 6:The Ones That Never Were

Chapter 6 : "The Ones That Never Were"

_'So it's almost time..._' two emerald eyes watched as night became early morning. The sun was still an hour or so from rising into the sky. She fiddled with a kunai in her left hand to pass the time. She had been awake most of the night; she was never able to sleep well to begin with. Once her energy had been restored there was no use going back to sleep. One could say that a lot of progress could be made like that but the truth was that it chipped away at the mind and did little good.

Sighing, she almost wished the moon was still visible, that she would not have to kill that boy. _'Kyuubi or not, its still a boy...'_ Sensing that Kakashi was awake and getting up from the couch she made her way out of his bedroom.

In another part of the village a dark haired shinobi carefully crept over the sleeping village's outer wall and slipped into the forest; his eyes flashing red as he searched for something.

"Are you ready?" Yayoi questioned the seemingly half asleep man. He turned to her and she only had a second to realize that his facemask wasn't present before a pair of lips covered her own. Forgetting herself she sighed into the kiss. A hand brushed back the hair covering her left side before they separated. "Now I'm ready." Kakashi pulled up his facemask to hide a smirk at her widened expression.

Grabbing her arm Kakashi transported them into the Hokage's office in an instant. The old Hokage blinked at them tiredly and asked them to seat themselves. Yayoi mostly tuned the man out; all he was doing was going into detail of what he wanted from them when they got to the Kyuubi. It didn't matter what he said her mind was already made up. It had been made up the moment the Kyuubi had taken control and killed someone. But she supposed that just because she had decided to do something, it didn't mean that she had to like it.

"Now are the both of you ready to leave with the ANBU squad that is accompanying you?" Yayoi looked up at that. _'That's just more people that have a chance to be killed. Hasn't he learned from yesterdays slaughter of the ANBU?_' Nodding regardless of her own thoughts she and Kakashi stood and watched as a team of 5 ANBU greeted them. Resisting the urge to roll her eyes she walked out of the room not waiting to be told.

By the time she had reached the main gate the others were beside her_. 'Time to play tag, I guess you're it Kyuubi.'_ she thought mirthlessly.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

A startled growl escaped the Kyuubi's lips as he plummeted to the ground. One moment he had been effortlessly jumping through the treetops and the next he had suddenly lost control of his legs; they had locked up and it caused him to loose his balance. His back smashed through a tree branch while the wind rushed past him. It seemed to him that it was taking an eternity to fall.

Crashing into the ground the Kitsune coughed up blood. His left wrist was shattered, his leg was lying at an odd angle and he was sure that his rib cage was crushed. Sensing a small feeble presence in the very back of his consciousness he smirked. "Very good kit, but its not enough to kill me, or even really harm me. All your attempts on hindering me will be in vein. You will not gain control again."

Although he had told the boy he was useless kyuubi was wondering how it was even possible for him to gain control like that. Ignoring that train of thought he quickly healed his wounds and within two hours he was running through the trees again. There was however a small problem. Every once and a while one of his legs would lock or go numb making him stop until the feeling was back or he had ripped that small hold on his body away from the boy.

"Even shut out from your body you are still a nuisance. Although this chakra that is heading towards us might just make up for it." with a devilish smirk the Kitsune sat still on a branch and waited for the person to catch up with him.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

Opening her eyes, she narrowed them slightly at the darkness they were met with. The only light was far down what appeared to be a long corridor. _'I think I've been here before... Something isn't right.'_ taking a step foreword her feet stepped into something gooey and she began to sink. '_What the hell?!' _Struggling, she was pulled under faster by the dark substance. _'Wake up! Wake up!'_ she screamed. She had to be dreaming, something like that was 'not' normal. She quickly closed her eyes just before her head became submerged. Feeling weightlessness her eyes snapped open to see the ground rushing up to meet her. Smashing into the ground she groaned. But surprisingly she felt unharmed, as though some invisible force had kept her safe.

_'So you finally got here. I was wondering how long it would take you once I called you.'_ a soft and almost alluring voice floated through the semi darkness. Getting into a sitting position the emerald eyed woman looked up to see a great beast partially shrouded in darkness. _'Rokubi no Ookami.'_ she stated. Standing up she walked closer to the Ookami; she felt no fear only anger and slight curiosity. _'You shouldn't be able to pull me here. Why now?'_

The Ookami laughed almost bitterly_. 'Have you not felt yourself weakening for no apparent reason? Have you not noticed that your recovery time takes longer, that your appetite grows weaker?'_ She frowned. _'Why would you even care? Wasn't it you that tried to take me over all those years ago? Just what do you know my situation?'_

_'The seal that holds me in place above your heart is crumbling.'_ Emerald eyes widened._ 'Then why are you not in control now? If the seal is crumbling...'_ The floor moved as the Ookami lay down; one very large black paw coming into view as it did so. The silver nails made a 'clicking' sound as the beast flexed it claws. _'You know very well that the seal was only designed to keep me here for a small amount of time, not indefinitely._ '

_'I know that. So you're going to go free now?' the_ Ookami laughed again. _'No, when that seal is about to break it will kill you to ensure that I can't escape. There is no mending the seal once it gets to this point. Within two and a half years Yayoi, you're dead.' _Taking a deep breath Yayoi released it slowly. _'Things will only get worse from here on out. The best you can hope for is to die in battle because if you don't the death that awaits you is horrid.'_ Sliding to the floor she forced a smile. _'Dying in battle isn't so bad...'_

+End Flashback+

"Kakashi, the kid is about 10 miles west of here." Pakkun said after suddenly appearing on Kakashi's shoulder. "Alright, west it is. You can go now." Pakkun nodded and disappeared just as quickly as he had come. Yayoi nodded to Kakashi and they sprinted ahead of the ANBU that were following them; if it could be settled with just the two of them it would be better but just in case the ANBU wouldn't be too far behind.

Smiling slightly as she rushed through the trees Yayoi retreated to her thoughts. _'Hey old Ookami? Will this battle be enough you think?_' A calming warmth spread quickly across her stomach and she took that as a silent agreement.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

"Naruto!" Lifting his head the red eyed Kitsune looked at the boy heading toward him. "He'll be fun to play with for a while." Sasuke stopped a few trees before him in his eyes were the Sharingan. "You're not Naruto." the kyuubi laughed. "I never said I was." he quickly brought himself to the tree that the boy was in and slashed at his shoulder. With a small hiss of pain Sasuke jumped away while clutching at his bleeding shoulder.

_'I couldn't even dodge it!_' Pulling out a kunai he waited for the kyuubi to attack, which didn't take too long, and let it get in a hit so that he could counter. He jabbed the kunai into the arm that was coming at him. He had expected the kyuubi to pull his arm back and was surprised when he didn't. Grabbing the boys neck the kyuubi slammed his head into a tree. Sasuke became slightly dazed and only registered more pain as the kyuubi dug his nails into his neck. Black spots filtered across his vision and when he thought he would pass out the pressure constricting his airway was lifted.

"Sasuke, you have to get away now. I can't hold him back much longer I'm sorry."

_'That was Naruto, not kyuubi. Does that mean he can be saved?'_ Sasuke jumped away from the other boy, he looked back to see that the sad smile Naruto had worn turned into a twisted smirk. Kyuubi had regained control. The look that kyuubi gave Sasuke made him shiver. _'I have to get away.'_ jumping swiftly from tree to tree he tried to dodge as many of the Kyuubi's attacks as he could. For once he was going to listen to naruto and retreat.

_'Damn he's so fast!_' Sasuke barely dodged the kicked aimed for his head and he wondered if the Kyuubi was merely playing with him. Dropping out of the trees Sasuke poured chakra into his legs and took off in the direction of the leaf village. There was a crash next to him and he noted that Kyuubi had missed hitting him with some jutsu.

"What, you don't want to play anymore?" the Kyuubi said while appearing right next to him. With a jump the Kyuubi and Sasuke tumbled to the ground, Sasuke being pinned under kyuubi. Sasuke watched with wide eyes as the kyuubi raised his claws to strike him. At the last second something rammed into the kyuubi and sent him flying off of Sasuke. Sitting up a hand was offered to help him stand. Looking up Sasuke saw Kakashi.

Taking the hand he stood slightly unbalanced and looked at the direction kyuubi was thrown. The black haired woman was there and her teeth were bared exposing sharp canines. "Finally something challenging!" the kyuubi growled out. The fight began with just a flash of color. They were going at speeds Sasuke could only dream of and it was difficult for him to even keep up with their movements.

They slowly made there way away from Kakashi and Sasuke leaving the two to play catch up with them. "Can you run any further?" Sasuke nodded at Kakashi, even though his body was covered in cuts and bruises.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

Dodging the kyuubi Yayoi back flipped and when she landed she pivoted and kicked the kyuubi in the chest. There was a horrible cracking noise and she smirked. "That must have hurt?" she taunted to the growling Kitsune. Their fighting continued in much of the same fashion while they moved further and further into the forest. After getting grabbed by one of the Kyuubi's clawed hands Yayoi was thrown through a tree and landed in a heap or broken limbs. _'Ne Ookami, your strength would be helpful now as much as i hate to admit it.'_ she felt the biju's chakra coursed through her body and smirked as her bones healed along with other cuts and bruises. Standing up and cracking her neck she stood before the kyuubi defiantly. "I was hopping to kill you using my strength alone but that doesn't seem possible anymore."

With a snarl they attacked one another with renewed vigor; one led by anger the other determination. Many cuts, gashes and shuriken wounds later the pair found themselves breather a little harsher then had expected. Ducking when kyuubi tried to decapitate her Yayoi spotted something off a little ways behind kyuubi. _'A small house? Might be interesting.'_ Gaining a feral grin she used a little of her enhanced speed to appear behind Kyuubi who turned around just in time for her to land a hit.

Kicking kyuubi in the stomach sent him flying into the abandoned house and landing with a large crash. _'Well I've had enough of the outdoors today anyway._' Running over to the pile of half rotted wood she was met with a fist that knocked her backwards into the house. Growling she spit out blood and threw shuriken at the Kitsune. There was a howl of pain as one of them hit their intended target. _'He's slowing down, that's good for me. He must be as low on chakra as I am. Or at least close to it.'_ With that in mind she began throwing kicks and slashing at the kyuubi with her kunai.

A few lucky shots later and the kyuubi was down on the floor gasping for air, his fangs bared as he looked at her. Not one to waste an opportunity she gathered some of her remaining chakra into her hand.

_'Just a few more feet!'_ Yayoi panted from the exertion of the battle and made a move to give Naruto, or rather the kyuubi, the killing blow. "Katon: Gokyaku no Jutsu!" a large burst of flames in front of the two warring shinobi made them leap away from each other; the space in-between them beginning to burn as the fire jutsu died out. _'Kuso! I was so close. That idiot child!'_ Yayoi glared spitefully at the black haired Uchiha while ignoring her surroundings.

The kyuubi charged and headed after Yayoi, Sasuke who was in the way, was about to get struck when Kakashi teleported him out of the way._ 'This won't last much longer; my chakra reserves are almost gone.'_ Using a kunai to block the claws she brought her free hand up and scratched the boys shoulder with a shuriken she had hidden earlier. Breaking away they circled each other like animals; neither paid attention to the fire that had taken hold in the small house.

Blocking a few more attempts at clawing her Yayoi staggered backwards giving the Kyuubi just enough time to rush foreword. Blood bubbled from her mouth and she felt the hand twist at her insides painfully, she smirked. Though there was a hand plunged into her stomach, there was also a kunai lodged in the Kyuubi's neck. _'Gotcha.'_

She felt the shift in the body more rather then seeing it. "Thank you...I couldn't stop him..." Tears blurred her vision as she gazed into the azure eyes of the Kyuubi container. There was really nothing she could say to him, he was dying and she was the cause. Blinking away her tears she carefully pulled the kunai away; Naruto's hand ripped painfully away from her as the boys body fell.

But he didn't fall to the floor as she had expected. Sasuke had managed to break away from Kakashi and caught the boy, holding him close to his chest while his hand tried to stop the blood that was gushing from his friends neck. "Its time to go." Kakashi said after he heard the groan of the ceiling; the wood weakened by the flames. There was no way to get out of the house without using a jutsu; they were surrounded by walls of flame.

Kakashi grabbed a hold of Sasuke and they disappeared.

Yayoi watched with a smile as the three men disappeared from the fire engulfed room. 'He _didn't even look back...'_ her strength finally giving out completely she crumpled to the floor. Blood began to pool around her but she didn't make a move to staunch the flow form her abdomen. _'I wonder if he expected me to follow?'_ she laughed only to inhale thick smoke and choke; tears formed in her eyes and painfully made their way down her ashen face. With a small shout a beam from the room caved in and settled over her legs.

Weakly she pulled one leg free and managed to scoot far enough back so that she rested exhausted against one of the walls.

Everything was turning to ash around her; the smoke was thick and slowly suffocating her. This was the one way she hadn't wanted to die, engulfed by flames, she thought numbly. Parts of the building were collapsing in around her making the space she occupied even smaller. Her leg twitched under the weight of the fallen roof. If she had the strength she might have been able to free herself, but seeing as she had used almost all of her chakra earlier, she knew it was impossible.

She watched with morbid fascination as the last bit of paint on the wall bubbled up and disappeared into the flames. She choked on the air, or lack-there-of; the hot ash burning her insides.

Her left hand sluggishly rubbed her neck, the right one curled around her waist. The flames were getting closer, the heat feeling more intense as the seconds ticked by. She thought back to what had started all of this and smiled. "And I still love you...even after this..." She let her eyes slip shut and just listened to the sounds of the fire, her body too tired to do anything else but listen. She knew it was foolish to love something that could never love you back, but that's just how her life was.

Her smile weakened and dissipated as her breathing started to slow to almost nothing. "Just... I just wish..." Her jaw went slack again as another portion of the roof caved in, the ever growing fire burning brighter before settling.

_'Ookami, you there?_' a weak voice echoed through the darkness. _'Why have you come here young one, you don't like speaking with me?' _a great black Ookami with silver eyes and six tails walked over to the human who dared enter the sealed area. An invisible line stopped the biju from going any further so it sat down and waited for a reply_. 'Please...'_ the figure whispered. The walls were beginning to melt and the heat bubbled to the surface.

'Please what...?' the great Ookami was intrigued. Never once had this human done anything other then curse the beast sealed within her, yet now she had come to it during a rather dire situation.

_'Make the pain go away...I'm so tired...please...'_ even though burn marks began to appear on the fragile flesh of the humans skin and the Ookami sensed that it was not physical pain that the child wished away. Silver eyes widened a small fraction as the seal cracked and the barrier between the two vanished. Shifting into smaller form, but still larger then the tiny human the biju walked foreword.

It could crush its container and no one would be the wiser if it took over. But sometimes fate is funny. In all the years the Ookami had watched that child; it had grown rather fond of it even if she didn't share the same sentiments.

_'It hurts...'_ came a small voice. Kneeling down the Ookami gathered the broken child in its tails, covering her, protecting her from everything. _'I will grant what you ask of me. If nothing else for the happiness you once sought so desperately. Sleep child and know no more.'_ the Ookami heard a softly murmured thank you and the large silver eyes softened and gazed at the human sadly. 'Goodbye'

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

A lone eye watched the burning house while waiting for Yayoi to emerge from its smoking confines. _'She should have been out by now, should i attempt to go back in?_' he unconsciously started to take a small step foreword. There was another loud groan and a horrible crack before the roof caved in. The flames burned brighter before after a moment, they settled. Kakashi stood frozen in mid step. His mind went blank. "Yayoi..."

Pale hands were desperately grasping at the bleeding wound on the blonds neck. A small fragile looking tanned hand was gently placed upon them. "Sasuke, it's ok." naruto's voice was slightly muffled and Sasuke was surprised that the boy could even speak anymore. Blood leaked from the sides of his mouth and he smiled at Sasuke. Sasuke's heart clenched painfully. "I guess...I lied about becoming Hokage, ne?" thick lashed fluttered dangerously over azure eyes before being forcefully kept open.

"Dobe..." Naruto's left hand weakly reached up to the back of Sasuke's neck and pulled his head closer to his own. "Do me a favor?" he asked as he was taken over by coughs. Pulling the blond closer in his arms he nodded his head once the coughs stopped. "Remember me... please." Quietly he whispered that he would. Naruto pulled Sasuke even closer until their lips touched.

All too soon naruto's hand slipped from his neck and with sad smile the blond watched Sasuke as his eyes closed. "Thank-" his last words were cut off and he lay dead in Sasuke's arms. "Naruto!" He couldn't feel his heartbeat anymore; there was nothing he could do. Without even realizing it tears fell from is eyes; he clutched the smaller boys body to his chest and buried his head in the soft golden hair.

Kakashi finally tore his gaze from the fire, he felt numb. Looking over at Sasuke and Naruto he said nothing. _'Naruto is dead then.'_ His expression never changed but he noted that he felt colder and emptier then he had ever felt before. _'I'm going to have to burry two of my students and...someone i cared about._' Closing his eye for a moment he closed off his emotions.

"Sasuke." they boy didn't so much as acknowledge his own name. "We have to go back to the village."

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

It had ended up being a beautiful sunny day where there was a light breeze just enough to allow a break form the continuous heat. Kakashi decided that it should have been raining rather then a cloudless day. The hokage cleared his throat and the few people that had been whispering stood up straight and looked foreword.

"Today we are here to bury three shinobi that will be missed greatly. They gave their lives to stop something horrible from happening to this village." A few glances were exchanged from confused people, the real reason they had died had not been made public it had become classified a SS-class secret. There was no need for the people to know just how close they had been to having the kyuubi reign free again, and all because of the treatment they gave to a child.

Kakashi listened as the Hokage read off the three names, most had already known and had been told to keep their comments to themselves. Sakura's mother however chose not to keep her silence. "How dare you burry my daughter the same day as that demon! Why bury it at all?!" she screamed in what was assumed rage and sorrow. Looking over to the boy who stood only a few feet from him Kakashi thought they might as well add another name to the list of dead. Sasuke Uchiha.

The boy looked like death warmed over. You couldn't tell it from the clothes he wore, but if one really looked at him you could see how pale he actually was along with the bags under his eyes.

_'He hasn't said a word since Naruto died...I doubt he has eaten anything either, never mind sleep.'_ with a small shake of his head he turned back to Sakura's mother who had been retrained as she had tried to spit on naruto's grave. _'I doubt that will be there long, the people of this village are too cruel. What would you think of all of this sensei?'_

The one thing the hokage did that most people were absolutely furious over _(excluding those who cared about him, which was regrettably very few)_ was add his name as well as Yayoi's to the memorial stone. The hokage would say nothing more then 'he died saving this village' to anyone who asked why 'its' name was put on that stone. The ceremony continued with no more outbursts from anyone. When it finally ended people paid their respects to the dead, most excluding Naruto, and left. Soon there were only two people remaining, Kakashi and Sasuke. Neither said a word to the other and the silence was uncomfortable to Kakashi.

Sasuke took one last look at the graves and turned away. He walked in slight jerky moments as though he were a puppet controlled by strings, or maybe the walking dead was more accurate. Kakashi placed his thumb over the newly added name on the stone. _'I never did get to know your last name. I guess you got to keep your secret Yayoi.'_

(Somewhere in the Uchiha district)

A lone figure walked out of a house with a small bag thrown over his shoulder. He didn't glance backwards but he wasn't really looking forewords either. He had left a note on the door in case anyone wanted to know why he wasn't home. He no longer had anything tying him to that village so why bother to stay, or at least those were his thoughts. He didn't care that he was doing this in broad daylight either, no one would stop to question him not even his team.

_'I should just go kill Itachi and be done with it. If he kills me then i won't care either way.'_ with that once last thought he carried out his plan on leaving the Village Hidden in the Leaves. No one would even notice he was gone for three days.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

-Three Months Later-

The wind had a chill to it on that sunny day, anything that it touched was left shivering. Yet the lone woman walking down the well traveled road didn't so much as flinch. Her short hair blew gently into her face every so often though she made no move to push it aside. She wore a dark blue tank top with black pants. She had a small pouch attached to her left leg and a similar but bigger one around her waist.

Thick black bandages covered both of her arms and crawled up past her shoulders on both sides and everything but the top of her neck was covered… Although most of her body was covered there were strange marks peaking out from just beneath the spots the bandages couldn't cover.

She walked with a slight limp; her right leg dragging behind her ever so slightly. Stopping and Looking up at the gates the woman sighed, her lips forming a frown. "Amegakure." her voice was so soft the wind almost didn't catch it. The wind blew once more, this time in a different direction. Her hair parted and a large scar was made visible from her eye down to her jaw line. With a shake of her head the raven haired woman walked foreword intending to get inside of the village before the storm.

A few lone snowflakes began to fall and the wind picked up again.

**End**

**AN**: soo how did you like the ending, i loved it! buwahahaha_! (As for the Naruto death scene I 'tried' not to make it corny.. but I don't think I succeeded.. And I'm sad that I killed him off but I wanted to make Sasuke suffer. I don't like him anymore ever since I found out he finally kills Itachi in the manga. Grrr I hate that emo Sasuke teme!!)_ I bet you are all wondering who that was at the end, it could be Yayoi but she died in the fire right? Well I'm not gonna say anything _(I could just be messing with your heads? I mean a woman with short black hair, It could be anyone, besides Yayoi has long hair...) _

Do you all want an epilogue or should there be a 'small' sequel? Tell me what you want but if I don't get any suggestions I might just call this a wrap and be done with it. :) nice aren't I? _But if this does end up being the last chapter I will say that I have really enjoyed writing this:) _


	8. Epilogue: Can Never Be

'Things Were As They Have Always Been'

Epilogue**: Can Never Be**

Running through the trees the silver haired ANBU thought back to just a few months ago when he was a jounin, when he still had a team. _'Everything fell apart when Naruto and Sakura died. Everyone was shocked that Sasuke had left. I suppose it was either that of kill himself, but no matter how much pain he was in Sasuke would never do that.' _Looking at the sky he noted that it would be getting dark soon, he would have to be in the village by then.

After Sasuke had left Kakashi had requested to be put back in ANBU; there was no way he was training another team. Even though the Hokage had originally pulled him from his ANBU duties in the first place he allowed Kakashi to go back, and for that he was grateful. _'If only he would give me less boring missions.' _he thought with a frown that was hidden by the white ANBU mask.

_'All I have to do it kill someone and take a scroll. If it weren't for the importance of the scroll it wouldn't even be an ANBU mission.' _His thoughts went silent and for the next two hours he raced towards the village. Finally just as dusk was approaching he was able to see the west gate of the village. _'I can't remember the last time I had to go to Amegakure...' _

Swiftly and silently he made it over the wall undetected as was expected of him. All he had to do was find the man and complete his mission._ 'From the information we received he is a big gambler and tends to drink heavily after he looses and he carries his valuables on him at all times. So with that in mind it should be easy to find him.' _With the newly fallen night giving him added coverage he raced quietly across the roofs of homes and businesses alike all the while searching with his eye.

He felt a flare of familiar chakra that stopped him in his tracks making roof tile fall to the ground with a crash._ 'That chakra where do I know it from? It's not Sasuke's...It feels like... No it can't be!' _his heart beat quickened with the unfinished thought before he forced himself to think rationally. _'She's dead it logically can't be her chakra. This is why I need harder missions so my mind can focus.' _With a shake of his head he drifted into the shadows with the renewed task of finding the man with the scroll.

As predicted he found the man in one of those two settings; he had just been exiting a building while looking thoroughly intoxicated. The man wobbled unsteadily down the street sometimes leaning on a wall for support. With a shake of his head Kakashi leapt out form the shadows once the man had turned down an alleyway. With one quick flick of a kunai the man lay on the ground in his own blood. Checking the dead mans pockets Kakashi retrieved a scroll and after checking it over found it to be the one he needed.

_'All this for a mission and it was over in less then ten minutes after entering the village.'_ While securing the scroll Kakashi walked away from the body and to the entrance to the alleyway. He would leave the body where it was, since he had the scroll it didn't matter if anyone found the man afterwards.

A woman with short black hair and pale skin passed by the entrance with only a few feet between herself and Kakashi; Kakashi for his part was thankful to be shrouded in the shadows. After she passed by he got an odd feeling that he should go after her, ignoring it he jumped back onto the roofs and headed out of the village.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX **

Sitting on the roof of the dango shop she was able to get a great view of the setting sun. She had months ago decided to just enjoy the life she had. It was a well known fact to those that knew her in this village that she probably wouldn't make it more then a few more months. She didn't even know what was really wrong with herself other then the fact that her body was deteriorate quickly.

As the last bit of sunlight filtered out of the sky she stared at the starless sky. Jumping off of the dango shops roof the black haired woman began to slowly walk back to her hotel. It had become a sort of ritual that she had adopted in her time in Ame; she would always watch the sun rise and set since she never knew when one of those would be her last. Brushing back a strand of short ink black hair she placed it behind her ear only to give a frustrated growl when it fell back down.

"Why do I even bother? Honestly..." She smiled slightly to the man who owned the ramen shop. He was always friendly and they would talk sometimes as she enjoyed a bowl of ramen. It was very strange, every time she found a fish cake in her food it felt as though she were forgetting something important. The man at the counter always said it was that she was looking at the food rather then eating it. She often wondered if he was right.

Her life had taken a drastic turn in the last few months_. (Unconsciously she played with the bandage on her left arm)_ She had been found just outside of another village covered in burns and nearly dead. She hadn't even been able to tell those people her own name. All she could really remember was fire. That was the only thought that had stuck with her after whatever it was that had caused her memory loss. She had also lost partial use of one of her legs because of the damage done.

Thankful she had at least remembered her own name as well as the knowledge that she was a shinobi. Beyond that everything was still a mystery. Ducking she dodged a stray kunai that a small child had lost control of. Giving the child a reproachable look she continued on her way. _'Parents really need to pay more attention to kids these days. I feel like someone is watching me...' _Looking around she couldn't find anyone and shrugged it off.

She was getting closer to the darker areas of the village; the areas where businesses were closing up for the night or had already done so. She would never understand why they closed up their shops so early but couldn't really care enough to ask.

As she passed an alleyway she though she felt a familiar chakra. By the time she looked back the chakra was gone, ignoring it she continued onward to her temporary residence. It was a small room in a rather large hotel, every night when she got back she would walk into her dark room and stare out the window. And this night would be no different. _'I think I should leave here in a few days...Maybe I'll visit Wave Country I heard they are getting their economy back together now that Gato is gone.'_

Once inside her hotel room the raven haired women sat at the window and looked out at the moon. Even the moon looked the same tonight. "Things were as they have always been...Lonely." All thoughts suddenly stopped and she had learned form experience to just let this happen; every once and a while she would get flashes of memories or words that she knew should mean something. The doctors said it was good but she never remembered anything substantial.

"Kakashi." blinking she looked confused for a moment. "That's who's chakra that was, but what does it mean?" Letting her head rest on her knees she continued to look at the moon. _'It's decided then. Tomorrow I will leave here for Wave and I won't look back.' _Smiling slightly she thought she heard a voice in the back of her mind telling her to visit Konoha before she died but she didn't think there was anything to see in that village so she ignored that voice. Closing her emerald eyes she allowed herself to rest there on the window sill while the moon hung high in the sky just outside of her window.

_-The End-_

**Final AN:** Hoorah!! I finally finished a story! Well I hoped that everyone who read the story liked it. As for the ending I hadn't even planned anything, I was listening to music and just started writing. _(I will admit had been mulling ideas around for the past couple days…)_

I have a feeling that some people might be confused as to what went on _(other then the fact that I'm evil and Yayoi and Kakashi never meet again) _**1)**Yes Sasuke is alive, but as I stated before I no longer like his character so I decided to make him suffer, so he will live on in agony. Muwahahaha! Ok… **2)** The Rokubi no Ookami saved Yayoi and erased her painful memories of her past, and yes the seal is still going to fail. **3)** Yayoi's hair is shorter because it was burned in the fire, and speaking of the fire that's why she has lots of bandages on her. Since the Rokubi used it power to get her out of the fire as well as seal her memories it didn't really have the strength left to heal her wounds, thus the burns, scars and limp. And I think we all know that the Rokubi was that little voice in her head at the end. K? LOL.

**Oh and before I forget, I want to give special thanks to "00Midnight Siren00**" and** "MercuryCrush" my anonymous reviewer. (the only two reviewers who are not real life friends of mine! Lmao) **I still thank Maki and Hiroko _(Definitely Hiroko since she is my unofficial Beta with this story, but I said I wasn't posting corrections until my fic was done so yeah…)_

And I did leave it open ended (_in a way_) where I could come back and 'possibly' so a one shot sequel, but if I did do that it wouldn't be for a while. _(Just like I said with the epilogue…yeah…)_ So For now this is goodbye! _(I'll be working on my fics on Fictionpress(dot)com if anyone wants to read them. The link is at the bottom of my profile)_


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